So That's That - City Leaders Just Rolling Over, Apparently, When It Comes to Wooing Google Fiber's High Speed Supersonic Internet

Below is my email exchange with Councilmember Jack Burkman regarding Vancouver's exclusion from Google Fiber's Portland expansion. I urge those of you who care about what kind of city we want to be when we grow up to get on the horn and urge Council to look into any possible chance of getting this NECESSARY service - because if we don't, the "high-tech" companies we so desperately want aren't gonna come north of the river - they're gonna go to Lake O.

State reps & senators: what kind of tax breaks can WA offer versus OR? Did Oregon lawmakers, and Metro, just give Google a more sweetened deal?

I just don't see why, because Google turned us down once, we have to now roll over and play dead.

Shea Michael Anderson sheaside@gmail.com	1:45 PM (4 hours ago)
to Tim.Leavitt, jack.burkman, eric.holmes

Could we please horn in on this hi speed internet boon for Portland? We're going to be left in the dust if we dont.

Burkman, Jack	2:47 PM (3 hours ago)
to me, Tim, Eric

Shea, the city did a very thorough application to Google for inclusion in their Google Fiber program but they turned us down.

Jack

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Jack Burkman | Councilmember

From: Shea Michael Anderson [mailto:sheaside@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 1:46 PM
To: Leavitt, Tim; Burkman, Jack; Holmes, Eric
Subject: Google Fiber

Shea Michael Anderson sheaside@gmail.com	5:57 PM (0 minutes ago)
to Jack, Tim, Eric

)-: Well, fwoop. That's horrible to hear. However, it sounds like they turned alot of folks (including Portland) down on the first round. Are we as a city permanently excluded from applying to Google again for a second look? It concerns me that Portland, and select suburbs (including Beaverton & Hillsboro, where many tech companies are) are pulling ahead of us on this one - companies definitely look closely at things like connectivity when considering locating offices, sites, and personnel - for instance, downtown Seattle's lack of T1 capacity for high-speed Internet was a factor in Amazon.com relocating their entire customer service division out of state - 2000 jobs. 

I just don't think y'all should give up on this one - it can't be that difficult to integrate into their network, given it will only be 1/2 mile away. Isn't a "goal" of the City's plan for downtown to become a "hub" for high-tech creative businesses (at least, that's what I heard and saw at the Kiggins last night)? Wouldn't such businesses want the best connectivity possible? 

I don't question your decision as a Council, and City Manager, to not pursue this further out of any need to nag, rant, or complain. Rather, I'm pressing this one because it concerns me, as a citizen of Vancouver, that we're not being proactive in getting the infrastructure, and spaces, to develop and grow the kind of community we see ourselves becoming - it baffles me that our fallback position on so many of these types of issues seems to be "bedroom community/cheaper alternative to Portland". I sincerely hope y'all will gather the political will to go back to Google - and show us all that you are committed to truly being "Destination Vancouver". 

Best,
Shea