5 ms·

Now this is interesting. This would be a little like an accelerator "spray and pray" model, where economically you would only need a small percentage of those c

Now this is interesting. This would be a little like an accelerator "spray and pray" model, where economically you would only need a small percentage of those companies to become large job creators and tax payers for this to work out in the city's favor. You got my vote Jake!

gravy 8y ago
What kind of new infrastructure can a small business afford with $60,000 that would enable them to become a large job creator?
- arcticfox 8y ago
  I think the idea is that it would kick a handful that might have been stuck or failed over an "activation energy" hump into becoming medium-to-large businesses someday. Like a catalyst. I don't know if it would be better than this Amazon stuff or not, but it feels healthier.
- jackconnor 8y ago
  That's more than a lot of startup accelerators give, so I think the answer is that it potentially lets a company get it's footing long enough to experience growth and self-sustain. This is a Y-Combinator affiliated website, after all...
- jakelazaroff 8y ago
  Why do small businesses need to become "large job creators"? If in ten years those subsidies create an average of just one new job each, the return is equal to what Amazon promises.
  - Lkjhmnbv 8y ago
    That's not true at all. If they make 1 new minimum wage job each, it would actually cost the city way more.
    - jakelazaroff 8y ago
      Sure, not all jobs are created equal. But there are a million variables here: when the job is created, the salary, whether it's filled by a current resident or a newcomer, how much public infrastructure the worker uses, etc. More to the point, though, the goal of the city isn't to maximize its revenue — it's to make its citizens lives better. A minimum wage job for a poor current resident might be better the community than high-paying job for an imported knowledge worker, even if the latter means more money for the city.
      - Lkjhmnbv 8y ago
        And you glossed over all of those things to make a politically convenient point. And I was just pointing that out. If you believe the latter I don't know what to tell you. Move to Detroit? The idea that less tax revenue is somehow good for funding social programs seems insane to me. Not sure how you're going to begin to justify that.
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]

gravy 8y ago

What kind of new infrastructure can a small business afford with $60,000 that would enable them to become a large job creator?

arcticfox 8y ago
I think the idea is that it would kick a handful that might have been stuck or failed over an "activation energy" hump into becoming medium-to-large businesses someday. Like a catalyst. I don't know if it would be better than this Amazon stuff or not, but it feels healthier.
jackconnor 8y ago
That's more than a lot of startup accelerators give, so I think the answer is that it potentially lets a company get it's footing long enough to experience growth and self-sustain. This is a Y-Combinator affiliated website, after all...
jakelazaroff 8y ago
Why do small businesses need to become "large job creators"? If in ten years those subsidies create an average of just one new job each, the return is equal to what Amazon promises.
- Lkjhmnbv 8y ago
  That's not true at all. If they make 1 new minimum wage job each, it would actually cost the city way more.
  - jakelazaroff 8y ago
    Sure, not all jobs are created equal. But there are a million variables here: when the job is created, the salary, whether it's filled by a current resident or a newcomer, how much public infrastructure the worker uses, etc. More to the point, though, the goal of the city isn't to maximize its revenue — it's to make its citizens lives better. A minimum wage job for a poor current resident might be better the community than high-paying job for an imported knowledge worker, even if the latter means more money for the city.
    - Lkjhmnbv 8y ago
      And you glossed over all of those things to make a politically convenient point. And I was just pointing that out. If you believe the latter I don't know what to tell you. Move to Detroit? The idea that less tax revenue is somehow good for funding social programs seems insane to me. Not sure how you're going to begin to justify that.
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]