Tech company creates jobs in Reno

Nevada is the first state where Google has been approved for robotic autonomous cars. Manufacturing is returning the U.S. from China through robotics. Even China is switching from manual labor to robotics for manufacturing. The U.S. Air Force at Nellis AFB, outside of Las Vegas, pilots robotic planes and drones half a world away. Where are the companies in Nevada developing robotic technology? You don't even need the fingers on one hand to count the number of robotic companies in Nevada. Where is the manufacturing base in Nevada? A couple of electronic engineers in turned Grass Valley, CA, just 90 miles west of Reno, into the Video Valley of the world. If Grass Valley can be turned into Video Valley with companies like Tektronix, Linear Technology, Belden Wire, AJA Video, National Semiconductor and US Robotics, why can't Reno be the next Silicon Valley? Is Nevada destined to be nothing but the nuclear waste dump of the U.S.? Watch how well Nevada's gaming tourism does when Nevada becomes the nuclear waste dump of America. The gaming capital of the world is very rapidly moving from Vegas to Macao. What will happen to Nevada's economy when Macao becomes the gaming capital of the world? This list of missed economic opportunities for Nevada could go on forever. Don't expect any help on this from Nevada's politicians.

Nevada's economy is almost exclusively based on casino gaming and that is how Nevada's politicians want Nevada’s economy to remain. Casino gaming fills a lot of Nevada’s politicians campaign coffers with lots of money. Why doesn't Nevada try to develop a strong hi-tech industrial base like California or Texas? Nevada's politicians pay lip service to helping hi-tech start-ups. Unless you're politically connected, you can forget about any help for entrepreneurs in Nevada, regardless of what the Governor says. You can't even get the Governor's, Nevada Senators' or congressmen offices to return a phone call or email. Come election time, they are more than willing to endlessly harass you for campaign contributions. The Governor points to the Desert Research Institute as a way to promote the hi-tech knowledge base in Nevada, but what successful companies in Nevada have resulted from DRI’s support? UNLV, UNR and DRI are full of PhDs that don't have an ounce of business sense or expertise. What those PhDs are experts at, is getting more government grants to keep their own jobs going. Apple is building a server farm in Reno, but server farms are not large employers of people. Server farms, by their very nature, are heavily automated. Where are the companies in Nevada developing servers and server technology for the exploding server farm industry? You don't even need the fingers on one hand to count the number of companies in Nevada developing servers. The world’s computer industry is exploding with new tablets and smart phones. Where are the companies in Nevada that are developing tablet and smartphone technology? The answer is ZERO. (continued)

Why does the EDAWN CEO state "Reno will never be the next Silicon Valley"? Why can't it be? Did South Dakota envision being the next oil boom town 10 years ago? Did anyone really think the first Indian Casino would eventually steal Reno's casino business? Why not TRY to make this the next Silicon Valley? Why not focus on higher quality jobs in the area? Why not figure out how to get Reno to be a better place to live in terms of jobs?? You have an amazing city with a lot to offer here other than jobs and I see that as being EDAWN's primary issue to figure out. Don't say it can't be done, figure out ways to make it happen! And thanks VGT for putting faith in the city of Reno and NNV.

Funny, Patti Hart thinks the only thing Reno engineers are good for is receiving layoff notices.