Jax Chamber Headed to Indianapolis - A few Pointers

[Metro Jacksonville]

Jax Chamber Headed to Indianapolis - A few Pointers



This week, the Chamber of Commerce and city leaders will make their annual pilgrimage to a peer city to seek out innovative ideas and successes that Jacksonville could implement. In years past, without bringing back and implementing tangible results, this trip has come under fire by Jacksonville taxpayers. To help make this trip worthwhile, Metro Jacksonville highlights five Indianapolis projects that Jacksonville representatives should take a close look at.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-oct-jax-chamber-headed-to-indianapolis-a-few-pointers

[Keith-N-Jax]

More tax dollars wasted IMO.

[St. Auggie]

Sorry.  I dont believe it is wasted.  Indy is exactly who this town should be emulating.  They have done an AMAZING job with their city. 

[Captain Zissou]

I'm not sure if this is a good investment or not.  If this has a profound effect on our leaders and causes them to transform our city for the better, then it was money well spent.  Unfortunately, I don't think that will be the case.

[JeffreyS]

I hope the chamber and city leaders take advantage of this primer for their trip.

[simms3]

More tax dollars wasted IMO.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Civic Council members who are in attendance are taking time off of their busy schedules and covering the costs of the trip themselves.  Some of them may also be on the Chamber, so maybe not, but I think these trips are hardly "vacations."

[vicupstate]

Tax dollars pay for City Council members but not business folks, IIRC.

What has the city learned from prior trips that WAS ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED ?  If the answer is nothing, then it is a waste. Surfing the net can teach them most of what they will learn on the trip.  Face to tface has benefits, but not if nothing is done with the information.

The Kansas City trip did lead to a new organization of local powerbrokers, can't remember the name.  Hopefully, something good will come of that.   

[Keith-N-Jax]

Tax dollars pay for City Council members but not business folks, IIRC.

What has the city learned from prior trips that WAS ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED ?     

My point EXACTLY.

[thelakelander]

The KC trip lead to the creation of the Civic Council.

[ChriswUfGator]

Well the first thing that stands out in that pic is that Indy has TWO WAY STREETS downtown. Hmmm...

[Coolyfett]

Kansas City? Indianapolis? Jax is learning from them?

Indy is set up nice. Id even say its kinda sexy. I like the Canal. Hogans Creek? yea... McCoys Creek? Hell no!

I mean the whole learning from KC & Thing? Why not New York, Miami & Chicago?? Im sure they could learn a ton from trips to those places. JV is cool, but Varsity is better.

[Captain Zissou]

Coolyfett, I agree that varsity is better, but we'd be wasting our time.  To follow your metaphor, Jax would be a chubby 4th grader with aspirations of playing in the NFL.  We need to get to the level of the 2nd tier cities first, then go for the big dogs.  There is more to be learned from Indy in the near term than NYC anyway. 

[Doctor_K]

LOL:

To follow your metaphor, Jax would be a chubby 4th grader with aspirations of playing in the NFL.

Would that make the official dance of Jacksonville the Truffle Shuffle??

[simms3]

I am really jealous of all those who get to go.  Staying at the Conrad...great piece of architecture there.  A talk at Indy's Scottish Rite?  Wow.  Indy is leagues above Jax right now.

And great points Lakelander, just to need to keep drilling it into people.  I don't think we should stop private investment in larger projects (I would consider the Laura Trio rehab + Bank Hotel a larger project), but if the city is going to spend tax dollars spend it on exactly what you said.

[thelakelander]

^There's nothing wrong with private investment of any kind.  However, we can get more bang for our buck by better integrating it with complementing investment, land uses and development strategies.