An excited presser from City Hall where politicos talk about tech . . .
Launch KC!
Google’s announcement for Kansas City raised our profile and expectations as an information technology center. Google has provided the motivation to take advantage of our assets in the information technology arena.
I am proud to say that, as of last night, 90% of the fiberhoods in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri have gone “Green.” We have a VERY good story to tell in Kansas City — now the question is, “Whats next?”
Launch KC is our answer.
I had the good sense to appoint Mike Burke to co-chair the Mayor’s Bi-state Innovation Team (MBIT) to determine how we leverage Google to our benefit. Mike gathered a group of innovators and Launch KC is the result of those conversations.
In other words…this is following a pattern I hope we will become known for:
When we don’t know the answer — we ask the people who do know the answer and then do what they suggest.
This group has been meeting since earlier this year. We are now ready to announce the product of those conversations: Launch KC — Kansas City”s new strategic initiative to stimulate the growth of our information technology companies.
Launch KC will take the lead in promoting innovation and fostering the attraction and development of creative entrepreneurs in the information technology sector.
The new initiative has five primary goals:
Capacity–Increase computing capacity for entrepreneurs.
Mobility—Provide greater mobility via greater WiFi access in downtown.
Incentives—Create City incentives that are meaningful to small start-ups.
Innovation—Generate a proof of concept lab to test new ideas.
Collaboration—Engage successful business to aid entrepreneurs.
We can Build Kansas City into THE place to for start ups to call home. More information on this initiative can be found here >>>
Thanks to all who volunteered their time, energy and talent to crafting this initiative. With your help we will make Kansas City BEST!
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It's all about hype and mostly marketing. Be it iPhone or Google Fiber. MAKE THE HYPE EPIC!
ReplyDeleteLaughing all the way to the bank. "Here have a ice cream sammich". Makes Bush look like a saint when bribed everyone with his "tax rebate" when he needed to cut taxes for the rich "job creators". Jobs! Tax cuts create Jobs!
ReplyDeleteMr. James why are taxpayers subsidizing and paying for this half baked experiment. You want to explain the sweetheart deal Google got a little bit for the first time since the initial "Everyone's going to get free Google Internet" hype came out?
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT QUESTION!
ReplyDeleteWhats next? The same old shit the bubble will pop, probably sooner than later, money to run all this shit will run out, and we'll be back to square one. I predict Google operate in the red then will opt out in two years which is part of the deal. They'll sell it off to Time Warner or someone who has deep pockets.
ReplyDeleteMayor Sly James: “We are eager to show the world that Kansas City, Missouri, is not only getting wired for one gigabit fiber, but also is flourishing as a hub of technology and creativity.”
ReplyDeleteHahahaha good one! Hows all those busted water main repairs and botched sewer line upgrades going? Paved any streets lately? Whats the sinkhole count on back log right now?
Who in the hell designed that stupid looking page for Launch KC? Middle school kids playing with build your own website software?
ReplyDeleteOh goody! I have an app that lets people post beer chugging pics on their phone! A real game changer!
ReplyDeleteYah my goal is to become one of those cereal enturpenyours!
ReplyDeleteBy this weekend know one will give a shit they'll be back to the Chiefs, drinking, and barbecue. Page, Brin, and Schmidt are looking more like the three stooges at this point.
ReplyDelete@7:04pm
ReplyDeletePage, Brin, and Schmidt didn't build what they have by being stupid, just like the developers who do so well by getting KCMO to screw their taxpayers by subsidizing everything in sight, or the sports teams rolling in taxpayer dough at the stadiums.
Google has played KVMO like a fiddle and will come out just fine. And KCMO looks like the amateur doofuses that they usually do, as reported NATIONALLY in the New York Times today.
Meanwhile, KCK has had an organized thoughtful rollout.
Another example of why NO OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ever want to have anything to do with KCMO.
It's always the same old self-important people, the same old songs, the same old "I want mine", and the same old rah rah PR, followed by neglect and disrepair.
Google thought they might help bring KCMO into the 21st Century, but the whole business community watched as the KCMO way of doing things dragged the effort backwards toward the 1950s.
Great recruiting KCMO!
Instead of "launch kc" it should be "Lunch KC"....There are loads of free lunches at the Capital Grill and other places to be had by these fucking grifters.
ReplyDeleteWhen Sly announced his big diet contest with Chamber honcho Heeter, little did we know that he was actually going to BECOME Heeter.
ReplyDeleteTwo Chambers of Commerce, one at taxpayer expense, and two times the rah rah for every half-baked idea that the latest out-of-town salesman can peddle at 12th and Oak.
How about the homicde rate, streets, broken water pipes, fire hydrants that don't work, no professional director of teh department that is facing a $2.5 billion sewer upgrade, ignored and obsolete code and zoning ordinances, and on and on?
Wouldn't it be helpful if KCMO had a municipal government?
Are we Portland yet?
Launch KC?
ReplyDeleteYou best be worried about the tail spin it is end rather than trying to launch it you idiots at 12th and Oak
Dave you crack me up!
ReplyDeleteYes I know my poor spelling is a crack up
ReplyDeleteDysfunctional....purely KC dysfunctional on all levels...
ReplyDeleteWhen does the insanity stop.
When the voters clean house if the chance to put good peope in place ever happens
ReplyDeleteThe timing is perfect. Just as Google concludes their focus on consumers and citizens, its the perfect time to talk about businesses - especially small businesses!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all - on executing the playbook! I just wish Matt Cassel could do as well!
Ever notice how every effort led by Mike Burke always includes City Incentives as one of its goals?
ReplyDeleteWhat- me worry?
ReplyDeleteAre we Portland yet? What the fuck does that mean?? Kansas City will never, ever be as cool as Portland, nor as clean, electric and upscale. KC sucks but compared to Portland, it's not even in the same room.
ReplyDeleteThank god it is only for south of the river. Maybe the unemployed leeches will have something to do now and the taxpayers can work a little harder.
ReplyDeleteWow so now the mayor is a shill for Google? I didn't realize that, with their $650+ stock price and market value of $227 BILLION that they needed help from the big guns in city hall.
ReplyDeletePretty sure you all got snookered by the hype. Any other wholesale giveaways we can squeeze out before year's end to big business?