Nevada Bill Would Allow Tech Companies To Create Governments

[M II A II R II K]

Nevada Bill Would Allow Tech Companies To Create Governments


Feb 5, 2021

Read More: https://www.kcra.com/article/nevada-...ents/35432880#

Planned legislation to establish new business areas in Nevada would allow technology companies to effectively form separate local governments. Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak announced a plan to launch so-called Innovation Zones in Nevada to jumpstart the state’s economy by attracting technology firms.

- The zones would permit companies with large areas of land to form governments carrying the same authority as counties, including the ability to impose taxes, form school districts and courts and provide government services. The measure to further economic development with the “alternative form of local government” has not yet been introduced in the Legislature. Sisolak pitched the concept in his State of the State address delivered Jan. 19. The plan would bring in new businesses at the forefront of “groundbreaking technologies” without the use of tax abatements or other publicly funded incentive packages that previously helped Nevada attract companies like Tesla Inc.

- Sisolak named Blockchains, LLC as a company that had committed to developing a “smart city” in an area east of Reno after the legislation has passed. The draft proposal said the traditional local government model is “inadequate alone” to provide the resources to make Nevada a leader in attracting and retaining businesses and fostering economic development in emerging technologies and industries. Sisolak named Blockchains, LLC as a company that had committed to developing a “smart city” in an area east of Reno after the legislation has passed. The draft proposal said the traditional local government model is “inadequate alone” to provide the resources to make Nevada a leader in attracting and retaining businesses and fostering economic development in emerging technologies and industries.

- Zone requirements would include applicants owning at least 78 square miles (202 square kilometers) of undeveloped, uninhabited land within a single county but separate from any city, town or tax increment area. Companies would have at least $250 million and plans to invest an additional $1 billion in their zones over 10 years. The zones would initially operate with the oversight of their location counties, but would eventually take over county duties and become independent governmental bodies. The zones would have three-member supervisor boards with the same powers as county commissioners. The businesses would maintain significant control over board membership.

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[dubu]

this would be the time to build a ai city. hopefully thats the goal, theres not much info. a smart city for people in nevada would not be the smartest idea. theres enough cities in the sunbelt.

[MolsonExport]

a smart city for people in nevada would not be the smartest idea.

a dumb city for the people in nevada would be the dumbest idea

[dubu]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

a dumb city for people in nevada would be the dumbest idea

true, people need water ai doesnt.

[M II A II R II K]

Didn’t Las Vegas start off that way

[Centropolis]

tonermagazine.net

can’t wait for actual tech wars between corporate neo-medieval structures.

[llamaorama]

So can we get away from the sensationalism and ask what they are really doing?

In Texas it's very common for special districts providing utilities or other services to be formed with boundaries that match exactly a new privately developed subdivision or industrial park. We have entities like The Woodlands Township which is an entirely privatized 'city' of 100k but it now has that public entity to guard it from being annexed by other cities and give it a fallback going forward in the future as it ages(it started in the 1970s and is going to be officially built out in the next few years).

A tech company building a tesla-sized factory or a data center somewhere in the desert where the only local authorities might be a really small town with no resources might have a genuine need to build its own roads, supply its own water, sewers, power, as well as pay for its own fire department, and maybe even police. This is actually less weird than people think, petrochemical complexes on the Gulf Coast often have to do the same thing since there is no way the locals in the area can or would want to pay to provide those services to something of that scale, not without being able to tax it.

But you know, big tech bad! Scary! Go post this on Reddit, earn instant 50,000 karma and those stupid emojis you have to pay for derp...

[M II A II R II K]

And bar unions from forming.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

So can we get away from the sensationalism and ask what they are really doing?

In Texas it's very common for special districts providing utilities or other services to be formed with boundaries that match exactly a new privately developed subdivision or industrial park. We have entities like The Woodlands Township which is an entirely privatized 'city' of 100k but it now has that public entity to guard it from being annexed by other cities and give it a fallback going forward in the future as it ages(it started in the 1970s and is going to be officially built out in the next few years).

A tech company building a tesla-sized factory or a data center somewhere in the desert where the only local authorities might be a really small town with no resources might have a genuine need to build its own roads, supply its own water, sewers, power, as well as pay for its own fire department, and maybe even police. This is actually less weird than people think, petrochemical complexes on the Gulf Coast often have to do the same thing since there is no way the locals in the area can or would want to pay to provide those services to something of that scale, not without being able to tax it.

But you know, big tech bad! Scary! Go post this on Reddit, earn instant 50,000 karma and those stupid emojis you have to pay for derp...

i havent looked much into it. however, seems like there are some differences from a large real estate development and a 78 square-mile + company town.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

So can we get away from the sensationalism and ask what they are really doing?

In Texas it's very common for special districts providing utilities or other services to be formed with boundaries that match exactly a new privately developed subdivision or industrial park. We have entities like The Woodlands Township which is an entirely privatized 'city' of 100k but it now has that public entity to guard it from being annexed by other cities and give it a fallback going forward in the future as it ages(it started in the 1970s and is going to be officially built out in the next few years).

I live in Kingwood which I am sure runs things fairly similarly to The Woodlands except for being in the city of Houston while TW is unincorporated Montgomery county. The fact that they are master planned communities, they have far reaching HOA's compared to urban neighborhoods but that's pretty much where their power begins and ends. They have some control over what color I can paint my front door and the types of business that can move in the area but Kingwood and The Woodlands do not govern themselves.

[llamaorama]

Originally Posted by JManc

I live in Kingwood which I am sure runs things fairly similarly to The Woodlands except for being in the city of Houston while TW is unincorporated Montgomery county. The fact that they are master planned communities, they have far reaching HOA's compared to urban neighborhoods but that's pretty much where their power begins and ends. They have some control over what color I can paint my front door and the types of business that can move in the area but Kingwood and The Woodlands do not govern themselves.

I don't how older Kingwood neighborhoods operate but you're in the City of Houston right? Who do you pay for water and sewers and stuff, do you have a MUD? I assume your HOA enforces covenants on your property?

The Woodlands is not in Houston at all. It was developed by the eponymous The Woodlands Corporation. I think the way they operate is there's some kind of super-sized HOA that basically operates like a city would but is still a private sector concept.

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

And bar unions from forming.

No way that's happening IMO.

I am not a lawyer and this would be the confluence of some super complicated stuff(police powers of local governments as bounded by historic supreme court decisions and how much federal labor statutes pre-empt states who then grant charters to cities, etc) but I would be really surprised if it was possible a municipality in Nevada or any other state could possibly enforce an ordinance against organized labor activity. I don't think that would be possible.

[sopas ej]

This can definitely lead to corruption.

If companies (read private and profit-making) can form governments, then obviously, they will need to have people be elected into government. And hmmm, who will their electorate comprise of? These little tech company cities will basically be little billionaire boys' clubs supporting each other at the expense of their residents.

[James Bond Agent 007]

This is just the kind of thing that would start massive conspiracy theories, lol.

[iheartthed]

The U.S. has a long history with company towns, and it has probably never worked out well.

[dubu]

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

This is just the kind of thing that would start massive conspiracy theories, lol.

its not like we are building a wall, we are building a small city in nevada of all places. witch had me excited that maybe a ai city.. that would be cool.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

The U.S. has a long history with company towns, and it has probably never worked out well.

and, the troubling part is that it is coinciding with an era of increasing labor exploitation during an empires decline. this isnt like a jumbo real estate development conceived of during the fat of the twentieth century while throngs of americans poured into the upper middle class.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

and, the troubling part is that it is coinciding with an era of increasing labor exploitation during an empires decline. this isnt like a jumbo real estate development conceived of during the fat of the twentieth century while throngs of americans poured into the upper middle class.

It sounds a lot like the 19th century mining towns that quickly bubbled up and were mostly discarded. It also reminds me of Fordlandia, Brazil.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

It sounds a lot like the 19th century mining towns that quickly bubbled up and were mostly discarded. It also reminds me of Fordlandia, Brazil.

yeah. its the precedent of the scale that is terrifying. its also a very nevada, 19th century west idea other than that.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

I don't how older Kingwood neighborhoods operate but you're in the City of Houston right? Who do you pay for water and sewers and stuff, do you have a MUD? I assume your HOA enforces covenants on your property?

The Woodlands is not in Houston at all. It was developed by the eponymous The Woodlands Corporation. I think the way they operate is there's some kind of super-sized HOA that basically operates like a city would but is still a private sector concept.

Kingwood is in Houston so we are no different than any other part of Houston service-wise though Kingwood Management still has a lot of sway. I'm not entirely certain about how things work in The Woodlands since they are an unincorporated area but they do elect a board of directors and are now what Kingwood was up until 1996 (which was developed by the Friendswood corporation; same concept) but from what I understand, this proposal in NV sounds more more substantial than what we have over here. Nevada is far more libertarian than Texas ever was.

[Manitopiaaa]

Is this that uncommon? Isn't Disney World in Orlando in a company town (Lake Buena Vista)?