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Lafayette creates value for citizens: We have fountains that don’t work

I was thinking about how Dayton (macro) could be more competitive in recruiting people and business to the area. The talk about tearing down the truck plant makes no sense- at least until Tata Motors turns it down.

I thought back to the Riverscape Fountains- and how we could have spent the $3+ million on building state of the art playing fields on the Parkside homes site instead.

Or- if you are Lafayette Louisiana- building a fiber optic system to provide real speed to knowledge workers:

Lafayette, Louisiana yesterday revealed that it will soon become one of the first significant US cities to deploy a municipality-run fiber optic Internet connection. Lafayette Utilities System plans to launch the service with a combination of Internet, phone and TV services and will offer them either as part of bundles or as individual options. Internet service tops out as high as 50Mbps both downstream and upstream and will offer more bandwidth still for connections between users on the same network, doubling to 100Mbps.

Early service is expected to start next month and will see a basic 10Mbps symmetric Internet connection cost $29 per month; 30Mbps will cost $45 per month, while the top-end 50Mbps plan will cost $58 per month. Bundles, known as VIP deals, range from a starter $85 deal that includes 80 TV channels, 10Mbps data and phone service to a $200 Gold package that carries 250 regular stations, HD and premium stations, 50Mbps Internet access and unlimited long distance phone calling.

The rollout takes place over four major stages and should be completed by 2011, the utility firm says.

Lafayette’s fiber comes despite significant opposition to the deal and others like it in the US from cable and DSL providers Cox and AT&T, both of whom have publicly objected and are believed to have quietly funded private lawsuits attempting to thwart the plan for city-wide fiber.

via Electronista | Louisiana city offers 50Mbps fiber for $58 [1].

The idea of a free Wi-Fi system died on the vine. If we want to be competitive, we have to come up with ways to differentiate Dayton from the rest of the country- and the current system of offering “economic development dollars” (corporate welfare) is dying as our tax supported checkbook is going into overdraft mode- thanks to short-sighted, paid-off politicians coming up with “silver bullet” style solutions to basic infrastructure problems.

No one is moving to Dayton because we have big fountains that don’t work.

It’s time to capitalize on things that do. High speed access equals a high speed business environment.

Time to speed things up.

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Gene

No taxes on businesses in Dayton proper – boom, you are different than everyone else in the country.

Barry

The Mayor is so proud of the new building at Main and Monument. Caresoure – – the new monument to Welfare by the fathers and mothers of Dayton.