I think the value is in attracting more people from outside Hermosa Beach to come there and spend money. The small beach cities are always trying to get more tourist dollars funnelled their way.
More tourists -> happy, profitable business owners -> increased govt revenue. This is about generating money, not pleasing the 'tech-elite' or 'high-tech underclass'. Long Beach did a similar thing on Pine Street to increase tourist traffic and time spent in businesses there last year. -Michael > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ronan > Higgins, Cafe.com > Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 6:01 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [SOCALWUG] Hermosa Beach: City wide WiFi > > > The Hermosa Beach proposal is being pushed by WFI, Inc. > (http://www.wfinet.com/) of San Diego, who will gain a $2500 > per month service contract for putting up 1 transmitter on > the Fire Station. > (http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/cityclerk/agenmin/cca07 > -08-03/wifi.pd > f) > > I'm looking forward to seeing the cost-benefit analysis that > shows why a city should be getting into the ISP business. > Most cities are under pressure right now to find more tax > revenues and reduce spending. With the California Internet > Tax Freedom Act expiring at the end of the year, the city > would lose out on potential Internet access tax revenues if > citizens were no longer paying for Internet access. > > Does empowering a city's tech-elite with free Internet access > have social benefits that outweigh the benefits of city > revenues from business licenses, utility taxes and (possible) > Internet access taxes from "for-fee" ISPs? If there are > strong social benefits associated with giving free Internet > access to citizens, why have cities not been offering free > dial-up, DSL or Cable Internet access in the past; especially > to the "high-tech underclass" who need it most? > > I am sure the debate at the Hermosa Beach city council > meeting this evening will be quite interesting. > http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/citycler> k/agenmin/cca07-08-03/ > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Xeni Jardin > Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 12:18 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [SOCALWUG] Hermosa Beach: City wide WiFi > > > Very cool. The mayor apparently owns this bakery/cafe, which > -- surprise > -- offers free WiFi to patrons. Damn, I'm moving to Hermosa beach. > > http://www.breadnbagel.com/ --XJ > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Frank Keeney > Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 2:03 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [SOCALWUG] Hermosa Beach: City wide WiFi > > > > > "Imagine living in a town where you're able to move your laptop from > one place to the next without ever having to log off from cyberspace. > You can leave a coffee shop, travel down to the beach and then over to > a park, all the while still surfing the Internet, free of charge." > http://tbrnews.nminews.com/display/inn_hermosa_beach_news/news11.txt
