This might sound a bit too specific, but anyway, regarding to policies, laws and stuff, what changes do you think that could have made Utah even slightly more advanced economically compared to the other states starting at 2000?
More money towards education would be an excellent start. On top of that, not sending Google Fiber to PROVO over Salt Lake (still pissed over that decision). Utah is actually starting to relax on some of their more conservative policies and companies are moving in from the Silicon Valley Exodus.This might sound a bit too specific, but anyway, regarding to policies, laws and stuff, what changes do you think that could have made Utah even slightly more advanced economically compared to the other states starting at 2000?
More money towards education would be an excellent start. On top of that, not sending Google Fiber to PROVO over Salt Lake (still pissed over that decision). Utah is actually starting to relax on some of their more conservative policies and companies are moving in from the Silicon Valley Exodus.
If the states voted purely based on their average median household purchasing power (data from here)
Democratic (below avg. median household purchasing power) - 267 EVs
strongest states - Hawaii, New York, Maine
Republican (above avg. MHPP) - 271 EVs
strongest states - Minnesota, Utah, Iowa
closest states - Massachussets, Oregon, Idaho, Georgia, Delaware
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The view of most in Utah (I live in SLC) was it was a political decision to benefit BYU.Google bought the Provo City "IProvo" fiber optic network, so it's not as if there wasn't a good reason why Provo was picked.
The view of most in Utah (I live in SLC) was it was a political decision to benefit BYU.
I'm not sure what you mean by this question. Utah already has one of the highest median incomes in the country, without the exorbitant living costs that you see in other high-income states.
They're gradually releasing Google Fiber in SLC but taking damn long to do it (local cable and satellite are rushing to lock customers in five year deals to stifle it and what info I have received in the last year makes even that limited roll out questionable). Everyone I've talked to in SLC wants it including Adobe. It seems odd not to roll it out in SLC first especially with it's service industry and swelling tech firms.I've lived a decade around Utah. More likely, Google wanted the infrastructure- since it's already in the ground, no need to deal with the studies and local government that bog down any new infrastructure program. How long from design to the dirt being finished would it take for SLC? That could be interesting, either SLC fiber or a mayor pushes for Google, and deals with any local opposition.
They're gradually releasing Google Fiber in SLC but taking damn long to do it (local cable and satellite are rushing to lock customers in five year deals to stifle it and what info I have received in the last year makes even that limited roll out questionable). The issue with Provo is it's small, mostly a college town, and in the middle of nowhere. Only BYU can make any use of it. Everyone I've talked to in SLC wants it including Oracle. It seems odd to roll it out in a small town when it has been rolled out in larger venues especially since doing so gives others time to counter it. I get the issues with red tape. I also get how the powers that be at times tends to have an agenda that 50% of the state disagrees with.
(1)Which is why Google scooped up a running system in Provo, rather than starting from scratch in SLC. (2) Orem-Provo has over half a million according to Wiki, which if Google is trying to expand its network, is a decent amount, and has 2 universities, Utah Valley University and BYU, which if it wants recruitment is good. Although since Google Fiber doesn't charge by the gigabyte, not sure who the customer is really matters. (3) And more like 30%, TBH. But I doubt Google was swayed by the might of BYU and more likely wanted to just wanted the system. Rocky Anderson should have done something like that instead of opposing the Iraq War then.
Provo is 115000 unless you take the Metro Area if you want actual facts vs conflated facts (and being to Provo, anyone believing the conflated numbers needs to stop sipping the kool-aid) and if you look at what is centered in Provo vs what is centered in SLC (collegiate and economical) it makes more sense to go to SLC since that is where the real tech, business, and population boom is as is tech research (the University of Utah has only been in the field of computers for half a century being one of the first connected to the internet and giving the world Nolan Bushnell). Buying into a Provo is like buying into Cypress and then moving on to Los Angeles. Let's not pretend the powers that be didn't negotiate Google to Provo rather than Google deciding it made more sense.
30% brings into question if you even live in UT since the LDS members I've seen in this state can be divided between the faithful, the fundamentalist, the lapsed but still reporting and those who claimed membership in order to immigrate (want me to tell you about the sheer number of meth addicts and alcoholics I've seen declare LDS membership but haven't been to church in years?).
There is a reason tech firms are heading to SLC in droves yet Google went to Provo. THAT is the strange thing.
And you're right, this conversation has gone off topic.