Future Boston Alliance

[underground]

I'd love to hear what they have to say about public sector pension reform and the rampant abuse of the disability retirement system in the police, fire and school departments that wind up costing taxpayers real money.

Not sure what this complaint is even about other than being negative. Even Boston can manage to address multiple issues at once.

 

[whighlander]

Wait, they have an engineering department at Harvard?
-Your friends Stanford and Cal, and their awkward little cousin from Pasadena

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankings...top-science-schools/computer-science-rankings

Nooooooooo!!! -- they do have some sort of a pretender -- Lawerence I think


We're talking the original home of the mixture of practice and theory "Mens et Manus" -- the 'Tute' -- just happens to share Cambridge with that philosophy and theology school

 

[Tombstoner]

That's the funny thing, I'm probably younger than most of the assholes behind this thing.

yeah, that's really funny. you're a funny guy.

 

[Ron Newman]

Displacing the mayor at the next election is not a reasonable goal, and I'm sure the organizers realize this. But asserting a previously unrepresented constituency may be enough to start things rolling their way.

 

[TheRifleman]

Displacing the mayor at the next election is not a reasonable goal, and I'm sure the organizers realize this. But asserting a previously unrepresented constituency may be enough to start things rolling their way.

That will mean Menino will be the first Boston Mayor to actually die in office because nobody could unseat him after a 24 year term.

 

[underground]

I think even letting people in their constituency know that they're actually enough like-minded people to make up a constituency is a big step.

 

[whighlander]

If the city is so friendly to businesses then why did Fidelity move the majority of their company to North Carolina especially when the Johnsons have lived in Mass most of their lives.

Riff -- slow down -- you are getting a bit better:

But -- you and others are still misssing the key:

Greater Boston, Massachussetts and increasingly the US -- Is not friendly toward business -- due to out political lack of leadership -- when business is successful here- abouts it is not because of -- BUT rather inspite of the local and state and Federal political hacks

For example while keeping the core on Devonshire St. and key IT operations in the SPID -- Fidelity moved a lot of back-office ops out of Marlboro that can't be justified due to the high operating costs imposed by excessive taxes and regulations

On the other hand -- if you can justify an HQ or R&D center versus the high costs -- i.e. you need the access to the high priced talent that can produce you high returns -- then this is the place you want to locate. Thus you have not just start-ups but globally dominant players moving into Greater Boston their HQ's and R&D centers while the local companies move the back-office, manufacturing, distribution, etc -- out of state or out of Greater Boston

For a partial list of major players moving in to Greater Boston in the past 2 decades:

1) Novartis, Pfizer, Merk in pharma;
2) Google, Amazon, SAP, Oracle in Software / IT / Web
3) HP. Intel in traditional high tech;
4) BNY Mellon in Finance;
5) Schlumberger in Energy -- etc.

 

[whighlander]

It's one thing to dazzle some kind with a job offer out of college; another to retain him when he has options. Also a very different thing to make lateral hires from other locations.

CZ -- this is a good discussion -- some ranting about coliseums and christians and lions not excepted

However -- not a whole lot of it is new - the same concerns led to the foundation of:
Mass High Tech Council -- the granddady of these
followed in no particular order by:
Mass Telecom
Mass Software
Medical devices
Green Energy
Biotech Council
e-commerce

a few have combined and some are just histoire

The key to all this kind of "business sector advocacy" is that the political hacks and bureauKraps and their padrones benefiting from the "Bad Gov" will bend a bit to quiet the noise -- then unless there is some real political change - they go back to their kind of deal making -- that's why its called "Bacon Hill"

Ultimately -- Until the public throws the bums out -- nothing will fundamentally change and the acheivements of the successful entrepreneurs will be all the more impressive

if you want change and a return to the entrepreurial dynamism and greatness that built the US, Massachusetts and Greater Boston -- All of the "trough feeders" need to go

 

[lucky]

To me this isn't about being "friendly to business". Boston and Mass are quite wealthy and faring better than most of the country, so I don't see this as the big selling point for the effort.

To me, this is about recognizing that the policies and cultures Menino champions are sucking the authenticity out of Boston. Why is the Seaport being developed in a way that lacks character? Why are almost all of the new restaurants and venues either chains or owned by groups that already control so much? Why has zoning been altered to make dancing and music venues incredibly difficult to open? I could come up with many examples where Menino could've embraced something unique but instead decided to go with the chain/corporate model.

Of course, his defenders are right when they say that Boston is very pretty, clean and safe. But you know what else is pretty clean and safe? A shopping mall. People want authenticity in their surroundings. High end condos and chain stores are not authentic. And they are taking over the landscape, which over time will turn Boston into a not-special place, no matter how attractive it might look in BRA renderings.

 

[choo]

To me this isn't about being "friendly to business". Boston and Mass are quite wealthy and faring better than most of the country, so I don't see this as the big selling point for the effort.

To me, this is about recognizing that the policies and cultures Menino champions are sucking the authenticity out of Boston. Why is the Seaport being developed in a way that lacks character? Why are almost all of the new restaurants and venues either chains or owned by groups that already control so much? Why has zoning been altered to make dancing and music venues incredibly difficult to open? I could come up with many examples where Menino could've embraced something unique but instead decided to go with the chain/corporate model.

Of course, his defenders are right when they say that Boston is very pretty, clean and safe. But you know what else is pretty clean and safe? A shopping mall. People want authenticity in their surroundings. High end condos and chain stores are not authentic. And they are taking over the landscape, which over time will turn Boston into a not-special place, no matter how attractive it might look in BRA renderings.

One thing to remember is that Menino is the result of the culture, not a direct producer of this. He is currently the most clear embodiment of it and has the most power to influence it, but the puritanical remnants are just that-- from the puritans. This is actually critical in understanding, because while a new mayor may be the best way to produce some of these changes, Menino can still be pushed and influence to make them as well should he run and win again.

I think in general Boston is once again becoming a "lived in" space. That is not to say that people all together left the city at some point, but that for the first time in a long time a growing part of the population sees the city not as the place they will live in college, where they have a luxury condo/apartment for when they are in town, or unfortunately poor and pandered to by politicians.

For the first time in literally generations, more people than not are coming to the city with the explicit desire to establish their careers, start a family, and retire here. As someone who just bought in Somerville with this intention, the idea of getting a promotion, wife, and kid and jettisoning for the suburbs is the antithesis of my goals. This reality of people getting out of work and not leaving for the suburbs until Monday morning has the implications of being able to accommodate a diverse collection of lifestyles. This is where reducing the difficultly for restaurants to open (and have a dancing night), for gyms to stay open longer, for entrepreneurs to set up whatever they want. There obviously needs to be regulation and oversight, just not too much. Zoning and housing construction, a la fort point or a comprehensive vision for the high spine are the foundation of this.

 

[shmessy]

The city & state could have justified a billion dollar upgrade to the transit systems no questions asked all on the taxpayers backs.

Kraft would have made this city BILLIONS in revenues. The Patriots in the city would have been a fucking money machine.

Amen, only Whighlander would compare Jacobs to Kraft.

The ignorance of equating those two disparate businessmen is astounding.

 

[TheRifleman]

Amen, only Whighlander would compare Jacobs to Kraft.

The ignorance of equating those two disparate businessmen is astounding.

I really don't know how Whighlander could compare NFL football to NHL hockey.
I think the only industry that actually makes more money than the NFL is the Porn Industry.

Superbowl Sunday is practically a holiday at this point.

I'm not saying that the Stadium could have been a perfect fit in Seaport. But the reality for the NFL (Entertainment Industry)coming to the Seaport could have been the city of Boston money tree for tax revenue.
This should have been carefully reviewed.

The Mayor really fucked this up.

 

[stellarfun]

I really don't know how Whighlander could compare NFL football to NHL hockey.
I think the only industry that actually makes more money than the NFL is the Porn Industry.

Superbowl Sunday is practically a holiday at this point.

I'm not saying that the Stadium could have been a perfect fit in Seaport. But the reality for the NFL (Entertainment Industry)coming to the Seaport could have been the city of Boston money tree for tax revenue.
This should have been carefully reviewed.

The Mayor really fucked this up.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, even if it is not grounded in reality.

The Krafts pay about $2 million a year to Foxboro for Gillette. (The town owns the land under the stadium, so the payment is more formula-driven than a true tax on real property.) So a football stadium in South Boston would be no money tree.

 

[TheRifleman]

^^^^
Stellarfun whatever you say. I wouldn't put you in charge of my paper-route nevermind understanding the economics of what the Patriots could actually bring for the City of Boston.

Only a corrupt moron for a mayor would ignore this situation. At least put serious consideration in the idea of this scenario.

Could have justified Big Dig 2 with a massive upgrade in MBTA-HWY-Roads to justify Kraft and the boys moving to the city.

Kraft also would have played ball because he knows the real value would have been Long-term for his family wealth.

 

[choo]

You're tilting at imaginary windmills with this stadium BS. It was 10 years ago. If your limited vision of the city and its success was predicated on a football stadium, then the time has passed and the city is doomed. So please stop bringing it up in every thread. This thread could be a very interesting discussion on the future growth and character of a city that has long been at the forefront in American political and economic expansion.

 

[HenryAlan]

Here's an interview with Selkoe in the Dig: http://digboston.com/think/2012/05/greg-selkoe-on-building-a-better-boston/

He makes some decent points, but at the same time, he is tinkering around the edges for much of what he prescribes. More taxi medallions, cheaper/easier liquor licenses, more bars that are neither lounges nor college frat houses, etc. These are good ideas, but won't happen without some significant restructuring of the political process. But instead of understanding that it's the restructuring itself that is the issue, he only is looking at the symptoms, and suggesting that dialog can fix these things.

 

[lucky]

One thing to remember is that Menino is the result of the culture, not a direct producer of this. He is currently the most clear embodiment of it and has the most power to influence it, but the puritanical remnants are just that-- from the puritans. This is actually critical in understanding, because while a new mayor may be the best way to produce some of these changes, Menino can still be pushed and influence to make them as well should he run and win again.

I agree with this statement, and I've long thought that a new mayor might just be the same as the old mayor as he will face the same voting blocks. However, a Mayor does have the ability to steer conversations and encourage ideas, so he's not totally a prisoner of the culture.

Lets consider something small and uncontroversial. When the City was looking to turn the "Pink Palace" on the Common into a food concession, who did they choose? "The Earl of Sandwich" - a Florida based chain. Really? So uncreative, so uninspired. I look at what is happening in Brooklyn, with so many small food producers jockeying in open air markets, selling their goods to small independent shops, inspiring consumers and restaurants, and and I ask, why are we not seeing that happen here? Its something wholesome this Mayor and City could embrace and encourage, but I don't see any embrace of this at all. I see more Panera Bread. Just one way that I see Boston is not moving in a direction that encourages a creative and entrepreneurial spirit.

 

[choo]

Here's an interview with Selkoe in the Dig: http://digboston.com/think/2012/05/greg-selkoe-on-building-a-better-boston/

He makes some decent points, but at the same time, he is tinkering around the edges for much of what he prescribes. More taxi medallions, cheaper/easier liquor licenses, more bars that are neither lounges nor college frat houses, etc. These are good ideas, but won't happen without some significant restructuring of the political process. But instead of understanding that it's the restructuring itself that is the issue, he only is looking at the symptoms, and suggesting that dialog can fix these things.

You also have to contend with a unique chicken and egg issue. You can't rally to change the political process without demonstrating how its structure disables basic, harmless, and widely accepted ideas from becoming adopted. You then use these ideas as a vehicle to both expose and change the process. Occupy Wall Street is an example of the desire to change a process destroyed by an inability to actually rally behind a basic acceptance.

 

[SeamusMcFly]

Amen, only Whighlander would compare Jacobs to Kraft.

The ignorance of equating those two disparate businessmen is astounding.

I think the ignorance of thinking they are that different is just as astounding. Public image and the public relations department do a lot when they are paid to.

 

[HenryAlan]

I look at what is happening in Brooklyn, with so many small food producers jockeying in open air markets, selling their goods to small independent shops, inspiring consumers and restaurants, and and I ask, why are we not seeing that happen here? Its something wholesome this Mayor and City could embrace and encourage, but I don't see any embrace of this at all. I see more Panera Bread. Just one way that I see Boston is not moving in a direction that encourages a creative and entrepreneurial spirit.

We are seeing it here, but you need to look in the Brooklyn's of Boston, that is to say not downtown.