Shoot Me an Email...From Broad and Lehigh!
by Joe Pulcinella
Ugh! Mayor John Street is having a hard time coming to grips with the word "broke." Broke, as in "no money." The City of Philadelphia is bankrupt (morally and otherwise) but Street seems to think that the real reason anyone with any kind of marketable talent is leaving is because the city is not a giant Starbucks. Check out this scheme:
The mayor, who is known as a technology buff, wants to turn all of Philadelphia's 135 square miles into a seamless wireless network, creating one of the largest Internet hot spots in the world.
You gotta read the whole thing to believe it. It's in the Philadelphia Daily News so it's an easy reader. I can't begin to explain the crack-headedness of this whole thing. Every sentence floored me. Oh, I'll give you one more clip. Try to figure out what's wrong with this statement:
Street deserves kudos for taking the risk and wanting to be first.
Correct! Street is taking a risk...with MY checkbook! Meanwhile, columnist Christine Flowers absolutely gushes over the idea. I think she deserves a one-way ticket to The Mises Institute!
Comments
Also, The Street Administration and the ever-so-objective journalist Ms. Flowers are blissfully ignorant of why we have so many wifi hotspots already - people have found ways to make a profit providing the service. A city-run service will make no profit and will incur huge costs while it incurs a huge constituency, members of which will complain with loud, righteous anger when the service breaks down or a politician threatens to cancel or privatize it. Oh yeah, it will be a boon to the city all right.
The real slap is how Christine Flowers (journalist?) absolutely gushes over this idea. No concept of reality whatsoever. She's definitely part of the problem. I'm sure she though midnight basketball was a good idea, too.
Perhaps this will enable drug dealers and pimps to fit more deals and tricks into their busy schedules by synching their Blackberry or Palm or Pocket PC organizers with their desktops back at da crib! Now THAT"S what I call a productivity increase!
The city cant keep its street lights working, how are they going to maintain the network? Also, of 135 square miles how many have more than 1 wireless capable laptop (the network will only work outside) per block? This is moronic, and a waste of money and time. But then again, thats biz as usual in Philly.
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