When I administered the DOD OEA study for the San Diego region 15 years ago, my position was in the PIC (like Escarosa Center) reporting to the Director of Economic Development Administration for the City of San Diego.

After designing and conducting the study, I took the results of that study (same as the recent Pensacola TIPS study) to California and Department of Commerce EDA to get $12 million to start the Regional Technology Alliance, High Tech Resource Center, High Tech Business Incubator and EMTEC seed capital fund.

These provided significant business attraction, expansion and funding results over more than a decade. All I see here is a “silver bullet” I-Ten Wired” project that may or may not have much impact beyond a limited Internet-connection process for startups.

In San Diego, I had team members from three universities, County, SANDAG, Economic Development Corporation (50% City/50%private funded), four junior colleges and several chambers of commerce, including the Economic Resource Center at the SD Chamber, equivalent to the Haas Center.

I provided economic development insights and info for one of the County Commissioners for over five years, and I see you are expressing similar sentiments that he has often shared with me.

Besides Economic Development and IT consulting, my background included Senior Manager Information Technology at Maximus Inc., Business Intelligence Manager at General Dynamics and Business Planning at General Motors.