Billionaire George Soros to Google: "Consider Baltimore"
George Soros, billionaire philanthropist, has pumped $70 million in Baltimore through the Open Society Institute. Now he's challenging Google to invest in the city, too, by making it the home of its first pilot project for ultra-high-speed broadband access.
From a statement OSI released today:
"Google should consider Baltimore for this trial for the same reasons that I selected Baltimore for my philanthropic investment, and as the site of the only field office of the Open Society Institute in the United States," said George Soros. "Baltimore has strong community institutions but still many people who suffer from being disconnected from important resources. The city and its residents would benefit dramatically from enhanced communications infrastructure. An investment in Baltimore is sure to yield positive returns both for Google and for the city."
Baltimore was one of more than 1,100 communities across the U.S. that filed an application on Friday's deadline for the Google Fiber for Communities project. Google wants to install a 1 Gbps fiber optic broadband network in a community of between 50,000 and 500,000 people, so the Internet giant can test next-generation Internet applications and services.
Comments
WTF? Do they know who they are dealing with? Soros is the kind of guy that will sell his mother short. There's an ulterior motive. E.g. consider how he manipulates world finance markets for his own benefit. Headline should read "rich socialist with nothing to lose wants to own Baltimore."
Posted by: TheBaltimoreColt | March 29, 2010 11:47 AM
LOL. Colt, nice tinfoil hat.
Posted by: blarg | March 29, 2010 12:50 PM
Hey Colt,
Tell us how you really feel!
Posted by: TheOne | March 29, 2010 12:59 PM
Soros may be better than most at using the market for his own financial gain, but that doesn't negate the fact that he's given away billions of dollars to charities and other worthwhile causes. See his Open Society initiatives page.
Posted by: Stephen | March 29, 2010 1:35 PM
In August 2006, Google CEO Eric Schmidt interviewed George Soros at Google HQ. You'll see that this interview reinforces the messages we have been assembling on Baltimore's behalf.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6150320548187842685#
Posted by: Dave Troy | March 29, 2010 1:39 PM
Interesting stuff. Soros certainly provokes a love-or-hate sort of reaction, and is probably the most famously liberal of the megarich in this country. But I see no particular ulterior motive in suggesting Baltimore in this context. We could use the publicity.
Posted by: J. Warner-Burke | March 29, 2010 1:52 PM
So now we're getting endorsements from admitted Nazi collaborators?
I thought Google specifically prohibited any employees or affiliates of Google from contributing to the RFI response.
Soros and Google both fund the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Investment Company.
Smart move.
Posted by: Don | March 29, 2010 3:16 PM
So now we're getting endorsements from admitted Nazi collaborators?
Try echoing that smear where IQ's don't get above room temperature.
Posted by: Paul_D | March 29, 2010 4:59 PM
Don,
I'm glad folks like you are out there to remind us of all the evil 14 year olds that had to survive the Holocaust by pretending to be Christian, and were forced to witness atrocities.
Posted by: blarg | March 29, 2010 5:06 PM
Ladies & Gentlemen.. Oklahoma City is where it's going..
Not only did we just get an NBA team..
Pass an 800million dollar city tax to upgrade our downtown and add key buildings to an already growing city.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8
***But we have the most "Cell-Phone Only" households in America..***
1 in 4 Oklahomans ONLY use a cellphone as their main line of communication.
(See pages 2-3)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr014.pdf
*Google's CEO preaches Mobile First..*
http://www.pcworld.com/article/189554/google_ce...
Coupled with the fact that we are centrally located and have access to alternative energy sources like Wind and are one of America's biggest producers of Natural Gas.
You boys will just have to wait.. =P
Good Luck to EVERYONE!!!
www.dreambigokc.com
Posted by: Bret Weller | March 29, 2010 11:48 PM
Nazi collaborator? Really? Let's turn now to Pope Benedict XVI for his opinion . . .
Jus' Sayin' . . .
Posted by: Leslie | March 31, 2010 8:25 AM