What are your priorities for Austin?

Thank you (3.00 / 1)

Bill appreciates the BOR endorsement, and he looks forward to working with the netroots community to help improve our Austin quality of life.

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by: Ian @ Thu Apr 09, 2009 at 04:31:07 AM UTC

Looking forward to the Budget/Economy Town Hall Meeting (3.00 / 1)

I'm very much looking forward to the Spelman "Budget and Economy Town Hall Meeting".

I hope y'all can make it!

Best,
David Kobierowski

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by: David Kobierowski @ Thu Apr 09, 2009 at 05:11:36 AM UTC

can't be there (0.00 / 0)

Big training week (the Ride is the 25th, and my first tri of the season 3 weeks after that). So -- I'll put in a word for libraries here instead. No, I don't work for the library. I use the library a lot, a whole lot, since I can't afford to buy any books. In this economy, more people are in the same boat - circulation is way up. Also, unemployed people are using the computers at the library to job hunt and fill out applications & update their resumes. It makes no sense to cut the hours of a resource that is being used more.

So, please consider yourself lobbied for more not less, library hours. Yes, I know I've lobbied thusly before. But it is important to me.

Hill Country Ride for AIDSmy HCRA Page

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by: BeckyH @ Thu Apr 09, 2009 at 14:51:59 PM UTC

Rail. Not commuter rail. (0.00 / 0)

We can't afford to wait 20 more years to start to get where our competitor cities already are going right now. And we can't afford to not have rail on Guadalupe, where all the density is now and where all the density will be in the future.

TOD doesn't happen along commuter rail - there's no way it's going to save us from that awful route choice. We've got to ignore that as much as possible and get urban rail built that will actually do Austin some good. Yes, start with the CAMPO plan if you must, but explore a spur up Guadalupe ASAP.

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by: m1ek @ Thu Apr 09, 2009 at 15:55:39 PM UTC

How many businesses have passed on Austin? (0.00 / 0)

I believe the public would be shocked if we were to find out the number of businesses (and commensurate jobs) that wanted to relocate to Austin but ended up getting a better deal in another Southwestern city.

Lee Leffingwell stated at the Urban is Core forum that he believes Austin shouldn't need to provide significant incentives to relocating companies because the Austin lifestyle is sufficiently attractive.

No matter how attractive our lifestyle is, if our politicians continue with that sort of cavalier attitude towards job creation, then corporate relocation will continue to pass Austin by.

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by: judegalligan @ Sat Apr 11, 2009 at 22:57:15 PM UTC

cite please (0.00 / 0)

And while you're at it, please explain how electing Brewster Mayor is going to change policy.  You do realize that the Mayor still has only one vote out of seven, right?  The same amount of votes that Brewster has now.  And he hasn't exactly shown a great skill for building coalitions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...

On the issue of subsidies, research shows that tax subsidies provide very little incentive for firms to locate in a certain area.  Firms are very good at manipulating credulous governmental bodies into giving them, however.

...a company's decision whether to invest in a particular region has more to do with factors other than tax incentives.

http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Col...

Recent research on government sponsored business incentives has revealed little, if any, correlation between government-sponsored business incentives and county unemployment rates. Despite this low correlation between employment and state sponsored business assistance, Aepell (2005) discovered that state sponsored cash or near cash assistance has steadily risen on a national level since the early 1970s. An analysis of 366 businesses in Ohio by Gabe and Kraybill (2002) found that state-sponsored incentive programs in the state of Ohio might have actually decreased job growth over a two-year period. Bartik (2005) attributes the dismal performance of Ohio's business incentive programs to poor strategy and a fundamental lack of accountability. Consequently, statistical analysis by Leroy (2004) indicates that incentives geared towards developing transportation, energy, proximity to suppliers, proximity to customers, and especially access to a highly skilled local workforce are more likely to attract and retain business and impact unemployment than traditional tax abatements and economic incentives.

http://www.allacademic.com/met...

As Spelman is a public policy academic, I expect him to be up on the latest research and look forward to participating in this Town Hall.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 07:08:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Has Austin done everything it can? (0.00 / 0)

Please share with us how many and which businesses have reached out to Austin City Council and the Chamber but decided to pass on Austin.  Tell me why.  If you don't know, then join the club.

Otherwise, I would tell ANY vote at the dais the same thing...

Austin can no longer keep a cavalier attitude towards job recruitment.  Austin is an amazing city, but there are other cities with a great value proposition and compete with Austin to draw corporate headquarters.

What actions can City Council take to improve our competitiveness?  Or, do you think we've done a good enough job?

Hmm... I wonder if having a robust mass transit system has anything to do with corporate decisions not to relocate to Austin?

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by: judegalligan @ Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 13:33:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you're all over the place with this post (0.00 / 0)

Your first post made unsubstantiated claims that Austin is losing tons of jobs because we aren't providing subsidies to bring in businesses.  I presented research that shows that subsidies aren't that effective in bringing in jobs and that a skilled workforce, a good transportation network, and cheap utilities are more important.  You ask me to substantiate your initial claims and then bring up mass transit, which Leffingwell has committed to and Brewster has flaked out on.  Sorry, you're going to have to bring something to the table if you want me to continue this conversation.  Anything, an original thought, some data, I'm not picky, I'm just tired of hearing your uninspired rhetoric.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 15:31:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No, not really (0.00 / 0)

As I stated very clearly, "I believe" the public would be shocked by what we don't know.  I didn't make any claim, just my speculation.  It appears that neither of us has the answer, but that doesn't discount the importance of understanding the truth.  Ideally, someone close to the Chamber and also reads BOR can comment.

I appreciate the research you linked to, Kedron.  Specifically...

Bartik (2005) attributes the dismal performance of Ohio's business incentive programs to poor strategy and a fundamental lack of accountability. Consequently, statistical analysis by Leroy (2004) indicates that incentives geared towards developing transportation, energy, proximity to suppliers, proximity to customers, and especially access to a highly skilled local workforce are more likely to attract and retain business and impact unemployment than traditional tax abatements and economic incentives.

That doesn't negate the function of tax incentives; rather, it suggests a broader value proposition is necessary to be successful.  For that reason, it should give all of us pause when we hear an existing council member and mayoral candidate (or ANY person on the dais) say they don't believe strongly that Austin needs to and can step up its corporate recruitment efforts.  The intent of my original post was for Bill Spelman to consider what opportunities Austin has missed and why, in order to find ways to improve that value proposition.  Which clearly includes mass transit.

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by: judegalligan @ Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 16:23:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks for the thoughts (3.00 / 1)

and sorry for my grouchiness this morning.  I've been up for 28 hours straight moving. :(  Time for a nap.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 16:57:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

lack of robust mass transit system = corporate decisions not to come to Austin? (0.00 / 0)

I think affordable housing and quality public schools rank higher in their decision matrix. Traffic congestion and poor air quality are other major factors.

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by: ssuits @ Mon Apr 13, 2009 at 03:28:51 AM UTC

[ Parent ]