On several occasions in the not-too-distant past we’ve commended The Garnet Spy to your attention. It’s a blog written by former National Security Agency (NSA) analyst Charie Speight (a good friend of ours) and nine times out of ten it hits the nail on the head by articulating the same sort of common sense fiscal conservatism that we’re all about advancing here at FITS.
Not so much this time, though …
In an article encouraging the University of South Carolina to revisit its plans for “Innovista” – a botched $300 million “research campus” in downtown Columbia – the Spy argues that USC should engage in a new line of speculative ( taxpayer-funded) “economic development” for the costly boondoggle.
I believe USC could use Innovista to institute a cyber development center, incorporating digital research, defense, network integrity, broadband and wi-fi, etc. Not only would it contribute to resolving a critical national security problem, but it would create jobs and a high tech workforce.
Ahh … another government-run effort to create a “high tech workforce.” What could possibly go wrong?
Let’s recap shall we?
Innovista has been a spectacular failure in fulfilling its original mission – which was to create thousands of high-paying jobs by ushering in the “hydrogen economy of the future.” Despite the abandonment of hydrogen fuel cell technology by the federal government, Innovista is still receiving beaucoup money from South Carolina taxpayers. In fact, with a $150 million bailout coming from the cash-strapped City of Columbia (and a steady stream of state revenue courtesy of House Speaker Bobby Harrell), the project is no longer even actively soliciting private investment.
As we said in May, “like the $140 million already poured down the drain on this unmitigated disaster, Innovista is going to continue robbing us of our tax dollars until we kill it.”
Accordingly, the only “new mission” we support for this research campus involves salting the earth over its ashes. Only then can the University of South Carolina stop pouring money into this sinkhole and return to its core educational mission.
By Charlie Speight August 13, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Thanks for the mention, but I think you’re missing something here. Whereas previous Innovista pursuits were focused on poorly chosen areas of technology, cybersecurity is anything but. My post listed several examples where cyber issues are not only expanding, but exploding. Hydrogen fuel was more an exercise in speculation than in current fact.
Anyone with a credit card, health care or a pay check needs and can relate to better cyber security. This is also a subject of national security necessity.
Alternative fuel research cannot be effectively compared to protection of our national information grid. So previous Innovista failures based on poorly chosen areas of research do not negate the potential for a new focus.
As long as the facilities and other resources are available, it makes sense to retool them for a contemporary and much more relevant area of pursuit.
By Ok.... August 13, 2010 at 3:00 pm
“as long as facilities and other resources are available”….one small detail Secret Agent Man…the “other resources” are taxpayer dollars. Frankly I’d rather have a business man keep more of his money to invent something rather then see more of it blown through the “administrative” costs of gov’t inefficiencies.
Just like we didn’t need gov’t intervention to “invent” gasoline (ie., hydrogen) we don’t need gov’t “resources” to further internet security as there are already plenty of well run private companies that do that WITHOUT taxpayer dollars.
By yarrrr August 13, 2010 at 5:12 pm
“Innovista” needs to be given a focus… one that actually benefits the people paying for it… “Hydrogen economy of the future” is too off the wall… they should focus on state and local government IT…
By Florida Watching August 14, 2010 at 11:04 am
Gary – Stop it. Nikki would not approve.
By follow the money August 14, 2010 at 11:07 am
This is Andy Sorensen’s and Bob Coble’s legacy. They wanted it, pushed for it, built it, shoved it onto Pastides and the city and state and then rode off into the sunset.
Sorensen treaded water for many years. Coble could not say no to anything.
And here we wer…. $140 million and counting down a rat hole…….
By EB August 14, 2010 at 2:38 pm
“Ahh … another government-run effort to create a “high tech workforce.” What could possibly go wrong?”
The same things that have been going wrong already.
Pouring more public money into this effort would be like watching a cheesecake disappear in front of Rosie O’Donnel. All scarfed up, gone without a trace.
I have not followed this closely, but when it was first conceived and brick and mortar put in place I heard nothing of any private industry involvement. Someone please inform me if there was ever any commitments for private business for this project.
Seems that you have to get a critical mass from private industry, the educational institutions, local and state government, and the local community.
Sounds like this was strictly an endeavor consisting of the education establishment and local and state government. I always thought the market called for products, private business detected the demand and sometimes in conjunction with the education establishment and governments, a program was put into place to satisfy that demand.
May have been too much wrong-headiness on part of the local educators and politicians in thinking they could create and then drive a business market.
The educators and politicians watched the Kevin Costner movie, “Field of Dreams,” one too many times.
“If you build it, they will come.”
Please burn that DVD movie.
By smart Kid Grant August 15, 2010 at 11:31 am
I agree with GS unequivocally on this one. Beyond the need for Federal cybersecurity, there is an even bigger need for it in the private sector. Unlike popular opinion, the Pentagon is not the hardest thing to hack into, that would go to either the banks or WalMart (weird I know). This way we could have enough cybersecurity trained individuals so that companies like Google don’t have to go running to the NSA to fix their problems. We already have a very good computer security program at USC (full disclosure: I am a student in that program). Also the infrastructure that would be needed to convert it into a cybersecurity center are pretty much all there and computers are relatively cheap these days. This is a program that would not only promise private investment, it would have more private investment than it would know what to do with. Private cybersecurity spending totals Billions of dollars each year, and it is a never ending fight to keep our country moving the way it should be.
By Belly up August 15, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Speight makes shit up too.
Don’t believe everything he says. He wrote a blog about a friend of mine that he obviously hadn’t researched hard enough. He took a one sided story and tried to make this person look bad.
Thats a loser in my eyes.
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By Charlie Speight August 16, 2010 at 9:08 pm
C’mon, Belly. Prove it.