Brewed Fresh Daily

Lev Gonick does an excellent job ennumerating the importance of the OneCleveland initiative. My reaction? Cleveland will become a city of civil servants. The OneCleveland project focuses on these areas: Education, Health Care, Government Services, Public Safety, and Research. All of which does nothing to encourage economic development in the private sector. Am I being cynical? Can someone explain to me how OneCleveland directly benefits the private sector? Lev concludes by stating:

"Attracting the proverbial creative class to northeast Ohio is less a public policy choice as it is creating an environment that attracts the world�s great minds, scientists, musicians, artists, teachers and others who can be inspired to do great things and make a contribution to our community. "

I'm so tired of the Richard Florida arguement. Creative people will come to when they can get paid for being creative. A "metropolitan technology infrastructure" [note the word, it's not WiFi] will do very little for the creative class. Unless by creative class, you mean people who work for the government or academia. Not to mention that great minds are going to do great things anyway. What OneCleveland is trying to do is inspire creative people to contribute to our community, not someone elses. What will attract the world's great minds? Other great minds. Instead of "metropolitan technology infrastructure" we should be working on a "metropolitan social network" where everyone is passionate and interested in what other people are doing. When that happens, people will begin to share their ideas, because they trust and respect each other. That's what will put us on the map, more then buzz about the lastest technology geegaw. I'm looking forward to your comments. Thanks in advance for leaving them!