Hello Orlando! Well, I've been wanting to have this conversation with you for a long time and there's lots to talk about, but let's start slow and see where we go. Like you, I love this place - my neighborhood, my friends, my visits to the theme parks and beaches, my basking in the brilliant sunshine all contribute to this feeling. So, like you, I desparately want Orlando (and when I say "Orlando", I mean the entire metropolitan area) to realize its potential, not just as the world's foremost tourist destination, but also as an innovative community home to some of the most dynamic industries in the world; industries like modeling and simulation technology, digital media, biotechnology and life sciences, and cleantech. And, hey, being home to the nation's third-largest university, seventh-largest research park, and tenth-busiest airport doesn't hurt our chances.
For all of our promise and potential, though, it seems to me that we've still got a ways to go. For one, we've got serious transportation challenges, a legacy of four decades of almost unbridled growth. Until very recently, we've had trouble building enough schools for our children, and we still face significant ongoing funding problems in our classrooms. And, the flipside of living in a tropical paradise is that you have to be very cognizant of the environmental jewels in your midst, some of which we tarnished beyond recognition but much of which remains in danger of devaluation (not to mention the small problem of our dwindling water supply). All of which makes this a critical point in the history of Orlando - moving toward our potential while overcoming the present challenges in our midst.
Okay, Orlando, let me stop here and see if we're on the same page. Do you feel like I do (apologies to Peter Frampton)? I'd like to talk this through - to see if we can come to some common understandings about who we can be as a community, what we can accomplish, how we can get there, and what kinds of decisions we need to make. I'm suggesting that during this exercise we can understand the secrets to realizing a truly innovative Orlando community, creating great places and attracting talented people in the process. What do you say, Orlando - can we talk about your potential?
No need to apologize to Frampton! I agree that Orlando needs some innovative thinking, however, to this point none of our elected officials or ones running have come up with any innovative ideas. Just the same old song and dance. You mention topics like flexible work hours to ease traffic or sharing schools and parks and all you here are the same old excuses.
ReplyDeleteJoe - you've hit the nail on the head. I think all of us need to re-orient our thinking toward competing in a global environment in which the race to accumulate talented people never ends.
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