adrielhampton.com – Seems that one of the perfect uses of social media and Web 2.0-style collaboration in local government is in economic development.
I’ve very interested in your thoughts, from regulatory issues to customer growth, how can Government 2.0 help small and emerging businesses do better?
Locally, I’m working with social media friends to put on a free training about citizen democracy and using social tools to build community and trust. I’m also interested in mapping out free wi-fi in my community and promoting businesses that offer it.
I’m interested in how government economic development offices can help create collaborative resources similar to “Love Tacoma” and “Third Places” to attract and retain local businesspeople. Love Tacoma is a Tacoma, WA, project to create social networks for young people and promote local activities; Third Places is a project of Charlotte, NC, that provides information on informal business spaces such as independent coffee shops with wi-fi where freelancers can gather.
What do you think? And if you’re familiar with the projects I cite above, how have they worked out?
I have some very specific ideas.
But, before we can jump to the how Web 2.0 can be used to help
we must build/create a targeted very specific niche list of
what is critically needed most, to help.
People are loosing their jobs and houses hand over fist.
keeping Americans employed and thus housed and fed will emerge as the highest priority.
People need a job, people need to retain a roof over their families heads, and food.
Nearly 2.6 million jobs were lost during 2008, the highest yearly total since 1945.
Their are a collective group of 5,000 people here on GovLoop. What a brain trust!
A large majority herein are employed.
If we made use of crowd sourcing in some fashion there is an opportunity to accomplish a very specific goal-Helping People, in very specific ways one town, and one community, one family at a time.
If we try too make it too big, too grandiose, it will stall.
The national unemployment rate rose to 7.2% in December, up
from 6.8% the previous month and from 4.9% a year earlier.
Michigan and Rhode Island once again led the nation with the highest jobless rates at 10.6% and 10% respectively. Rhode Island’s rate is the highest in more than three decades.
Unemployment trust funds suffer.
Swiftly rising unemployment claims are wreaking havoc on state unemployment trust funds. These accounts, which are funded by taxes levied on employers, are running dry.
Four more state funds — Indiana, New York, South Carolina and Ohio — have become insolvent in the last four months, according to a forthcoming report from the National Employment Law Project. They join Michigan in borrowing from the federal government to continue paying benefits.
Another 13 states are at “major risk” of insolvency, up from eight in September, according to the advocacy group. These states have eight months or less of average monthly benefits in their trust funds. These include: New Jersey, California, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Minnesota, Connecticut and Illinois.
Some experts predict up to 30 states could see their funds become insolvent this year if the recession deepens.
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/27/news/economy/state_unemployment/index.htm
Read the people’s comments in the news, this is the pulse of the people on the street.
What Creates Jobs? Any Jobs in the states hardest hit? Target those states first,
and Corporations can do more by not sending jobs overseas.
Pick a Location:
Pick a list a few very specfic needs to be fullfilled in that specific location to help people
Pick the Goal(s)
Design the Objectives
Tactics: How to make use Web 2.0 channels to help
Crowd Source the Solution Here
And then hire 10, 50, 100, 200 already unemployed people/experts in each target state to implement the solution there.
Just a few thoughts.
And, I do have some very specific ideas.
Economic Development is using Twitter.
Are the govenments going to MAKE companies bring the jobs back? If our tax dollars are saving them then they shouldn’t be able to have workers oversees…
The wost is yet to come and there is a positive in all this or could be. We as a society need to change and as Americans we will. Things in our life have gotten out of control and “we the people” can bring America back. Our government is not the answer, the people are. It will take time and we need to bring back our older values in family and business. Simplify that is the answer.
This is very new to me. I’m interested in learning more about those projects you mentioned. When your training comes available, please let me know.