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The San Francisco Food Bank provides fresh vegetables and dry goods to more than 200,000 people in northern California,
旧金山食物赈济处为北加州20多万居民提供新鲜蔬菜和谷物，
but managing this large of a quantity of food is no small feat.
但处理如此多的食物可不是小事。
The food bank relies on volunteers like these Uber employees who divvy up rice
这个赈济处依靠志愿者，比如来自“优步”的员工，他们分发大米，
as well as paid forklift operators to manage heavy boxes and others who sort bags of bread.
还有有偿的叉车驾驶员，他们来处理沉重的箱子，还有一些整理面包。
For people in need of food stamps however, the biggest challenge had been the application process.
对于那些需要食物券的居民，最大的挑战是申请流程。
In the digital age, government sort of messed it up a little bit. They made a very very long form that asks over 200 questions
在数码时代，政府正在把事情搞得混乱，申请表很长，而且询问了200多个问题，
and it doesn't work on a mobile phone so it's very very hard for someone who doesn't have a computer at home
而且没法在手机上使用，所以对于那些家中电脑
with broadband Internet access to actually get through this application.
无法连同宽带的人而言很难，他们没法完成申请。
To solve the problem, the food bank partnered with Code for America, a national nonprofit organization
为了解决这个问题，这家赈济处和全国非营利组织“为美国编程”组织合作，
that helps government programs work better by using technology. And we made a really simple online form
通过技术让政府项目顺利进行，我们制作了非常简单的表格，
that's mobile first and only takes seven minutes.
而且手机优先，只需要七分钟时间。
It uses really clear, simple language, and then we help people get through the process
表格的语言也非常清晰，非常简单，我们帮助民众顺利完成申请，
by supporting them by text message cause that's what people actually use.
通过短信为他们提供帮助，因为人们一直在使用短信。
Francesca Costa, a manager for CalFresh, the local food stamp program, said
CalFresh（当地食物赈济项目）经理弗兰斯卡·科斯塔认为，
the new application had made all the difference for applicants. A million times easier to get access to CalFresh.
对于申请人而言，新的申请流程发生了彻底改变，如今进入CalFresh项目简单一百万倍。
Senator Kamala Harris, a California Democrat who is running for US president has introduced a bill
加州民主党人，参议员卡玛拉·哈里斯正在竞选总统，她提出了一项法案，
to provide funding to local governments for similar tech teams like Code for America to improve services.
为当地政府提供资金，建立更多类似“为美国编程”等技术团队从而提高服务。
Other presidential candidates are also looking to tech to solve civic problems and create more local jobs.
其他总统候选人也在寻求通过技术解决市民问题，为当地创造更多就业。
Still, others have attacked tech. Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders has criticized Amazon's treatment of its warehouse workers
依然，还有一些人攻击技术，民主党参议员伯尼·桑德斯斥责亚马逊对仓库工人的待遇问题，
and fellow Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has proposed breaking up tech giants like Amazon and Facebook.
民主党参议员伊丽莎白·沃伦提出拆分像亚马逊和脸书等科技巨头。
President Donald Trump who is seeking re-election has met with the US tech industry leaders to talk about what government can do
特朗普总统正在寻求连任，他与美国科技业领导人会谈，讨论政府应该如何做
to help the US maintain its leadership in key technological areas.
来帮助美国保持在主要技术领域的领导力。
Harris' proposal to get tech involved on a local level makes sense to Francesca Costa.
哈里斯提出让技术融入到当地的建议得到了弗兰斯卡·科斯塔的肯定。
I think investing in technology is crucial for government assistance programs.
我认为投资技术对于政府救助计划是至关重要的。
It's a good strategy to eliminate those technological barriers
扫清这些技术障碍是一个非常好的举措，
so that we can focus on any other barriers that might exist in the business process.
从而集中在或许会在业务流程中出现的障碍。
In another project, Code for America helped local California governments
在其它项目中，“为美国编程”帮助加州当地政府
clear the criminal records of people convicted of marijuana-related crimes.
清除了那些与大麻有关的犯罪记录。
Now that a number of states have legalized marijuana, many convictions were overturned,
如今有许多大州已将大麻合法化，许多判定已被推翻，
but the process of digitally clearing them had stalled.
但在数码领域，清除工作停滞了。
It's remarkable to see the number of people in government who never thought that was possible, even though it's actually quite easy.
一些政府人员从未想过这能够实现，即使流程相当简单，这让我们意想不到。
From food banks to criminal record keeping, local governments in the United States
从赈济处到保存犯罪记录，美国的当地政府
are embracing technology to redefine what they do for Americans
正在通过技术重新定义他们对民众的贡献。
Deana Mitchell, for VOA news San Francisco
德亚娜·米切尔，VOA新闻旧金山报道
