LOCAL & STATE GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE IN GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

[Jamie Hall]

16 hours ago, titanhog said:

Yeah...even as a conservative, I don't understand that stupid adoption thing.  That's so punitive.  

This bill is typical silliness and time-wasting from our state legislators and seems to "solve" a problem that, as I understood it, never actually existed. If it really does discourage businesses from locating here, the consequences will be painful.

[markhollin]

We are straying from government influence on development.  Please stay on topic.

[MLBrumby]

Sorry... I’ll delete that when I get back to my office

[MLBrumby]

Very interesting interview of John Cooper by Channel 5 government reporter Pat Nolan (a really good interviewer)... touches on all topics, including Oracle and Microsoft. Cooper keeps referring to Austin. Keeps saying "city is broke".  

  https://www.newschannel5.com/plus/inside-politics/capitol-view-commentary/capitol-view-commentary-fri-feb-14-2020

 

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by MLBrumby

[JoeyX]

41 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

Very interesting interview of John Cooper by Channel 5 government reporter Pat Nolan (a really good interviewer)... touches on all topics, including Oracle and Microsoft. Cooper keeps referring to Austin. Keeps saying "city is broke".  

  https://www.newschannel5.com/plus/inside-politics/capitol-view-commentary/capitol-view-commentary-fri-feb-14-2020

 

 

 

He's a horrible interviewer. He cuts off the mayor when he's answering a question and then moves on to another question, he also doesn't followup on an asked question, he uses phrases that no one knows the meaning to. We still don't have an idea of the status of Oracle and Microsoft.

[MLBrumby]

I’m sure cooper was not inclined to say anything more about oracle and Microsoft. Nolan did cut off some politicianese. Sometimes interviewers have to keep things from devolving into a finger pointing exercise. And yes.... there were a lot of Local references. 

[nashvylle]

Microsoft is not happening right?

[downtownresident]

So it sounds like the part of the Oracle deal Cooper didn’t like was a land swap between Metro and IMI. So unnecessary shortsighted. 

[dxfret]

2 hours ago, JoeyX said:

 

He's a horrible interviewer. He cuts off the mayor when he's answering a question and then moves on to another question, he also doesn't followup on an asked question, he uses phrases that no one knows the meaning to. We still don't have an idea of the status of Oracle and Microsoft.

It was painful to watch Pat Nolan’s  so-called interview with Cooper. Channel 5 needs a younger generation political reporter. 

[MLBrumby]

He really is old. I think I remember him on the news from 30 years ago. He said he started in 1975....  I really only vaguely remember the name and not really him per se.

37 minutes ago, nashvylle said:

Microsoft is not happening right?

Apparently not.... cooper would never concede that fact though. I suppose there are those among us (myself included) who would have loved to see him squirm a little under cross examination.

Edited February 17, 2020 by MLBrumby

[JoeyX]

It sounds like whoever leads his economic development staff screwed up.

[nashwatcher]

Encouraging to hear he’s trying to get the Oracle deal done

[DDIG]

11 hours ago, JoeyX said:

It sounds like whoever leads his economic development staff screwed up.

He doesn't really have an ECD staff, so that's him...

The city is not BROKE we have a revenue problem that is easily fixable. Remains disturbing to me to here our Mayor continues to call us broke to justify everything he wants to do.

[JoeyX]

3 hours ago, DDIG said:

He doesn't really have an ECD staff, so that's him...

The city is not BROKE we have a revenue problem that is easily fixable. Remains disturbing to me to here our Mayor continues to call us broke to justify everything he wants to do.

 

Apparently he does have an ECD staff, because according to the Tennessean two of his top aides are the ones who met with Microsoft.

The guy interviewing the mayor said that people thought somebody "talked out of school" and were pointing at his office. I wonder what does talking out of school mean. 

Is that an old days term of talking a certain way when you're not in a school room? Does it mean insults, getting smart, or come on?

If so maybe that is why they went straight to the airport after the meeting and no followup meeting has taken place.

What could have happened to make them just leave right for the airport? Was it scheduled that way, or did something come up, or did something negative happen that made them mad?

 

 

[DDIG]

1 minute ago, JoeyX said:

 

Apparently he does have an ECD staff, because according to the Tennessean two of his top aides are the ones who met with Microsoft.

The guy interviewing the mayor said that people thought somebody "talked out of school" and were pointing at his office. I wonder what does talking out of school mean. 

Is that an old days term of talking a certain way when you're not in a school room? Does it mean insults, getting smart, or come on?

If so maybe that is why they went straight to the airport after the meeting and no followup meeting has taken place.

What could have happened to make them just leave right for the airport? Was it scheduled that way, or did something come up, or did something negative happen that made them mad?

 

 

Two of his aides, but I doubt they were ECD focused aids? Jamari Brown left and hasn't been replaced. 

[JoeyX]

11 minutes ago, DDIG said:

Two of his aides, but I doubt they were ECD focused aids? Jamari Brown left and hasn't been replaced. 

 

Who is Jamari Brown?

Edited February 17, 2020 by JoeyX

[downtownresident]

1 minute ago, JoeyX said:

 

Who is Jamari Brown?

He was the former head of ECD under Briley. He left in December and has not been replaced, with Mayor Cooper taking on the majority of the recruiting responsibilities. 

[JoeyX]

Cooper has been mayor since September. So he was head of ECD under Briley and then went on to hold the same position under Cooper? 

Edited February 17, 2020 by JoeyX

[DDIG]

10 minutes ago, JoeyX said:

Cooper has been mayor since September. So he was head of ECD under Briley and then went on to hold the same position under Cooper? 

Yes, for about two - three months.

[MLBrumby]

So I asked a colleague who is much closer to things in Nashville. Colleague said that Microsoft was scared away by Cooper's approach to Asurion. They are looking for an urban campus similar to Amazon. One place mentioned... they're looking at an area in Houston near the largest medical centers there. Their mayor is kicking butt with recruiting. 

[CaptainJilliams]

2 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

So I asked a colleague who is much closer to things in Nashville. Colleague said that Microsoft was scared away by Cooper's approach to Asurion. They are looking for an urban campus similar to Amazon. One place mentioned... they're looking at an area in Houston near the largest medical centers there. Their mayor is kicking butt with recruiting. 

Interesting...I'm a Houstonian and that would be huge news for the city. I know that Houston is trying to attract tech talent with their new "Innovation District" halfway between Midtown and The Medical Center. I wonder if this is the area Microsoft is considering. 

[JoeyX]

Did Assurion happen before or after the meeting with Microsoft? If before then that is bizarre. Why not just cancel the meeting altogether.

[downtownresident]

Just now, JoeyX said:

Did Assurion happen before or after the meeting with Microsoft? If before then that is bizarre. Why not just cancel the meeting altogether.

They likely asked about it and didn’t like the response. His comments at the rotary club were said around this time as well, so that likely played a huge part in Microsoft refusing further meetings. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by downtownresident

[JoeyX]

.

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by JoeyX

[MLBrumby]

More like, with so many other options the company execs didn't like the whiff of antagonism between a growing tech company and city hall. That's easily a non-starter for a lot of very large companies which are constantly being recruited.  Happens all the time.