I actually have a lot more than one question for you so I’m going to ask you
question for you so I’m going to ask you
question for you so I’m going to ask you three questions to start out and I want
three questions to start out and I want
three questions to start out and I want you all to think just very briefly about
you all to think just very briefly about
you all to think just very briefly about each one so first off what would you do
each one so first off what would you do
each one so first off what would you do if you won the lottery is there
if you won the lottery is there
if you won the lottery is there something that you’d really like to
something that you’d really like to
something that you’d really like to check off your bucket list next what
check off your bucket list next what
check off your bucket list next what would you do if you had to spend that
would you do if you had to spend that
would you do if you had to spend that money on your community is there some
money on your community is there some
money on your community is there some project in your community that you’d
project in your community that you’d
project in your community that you’d really like to see you get done and
really like to see you get done and
really like to see you get done and lastly what would you do if you had to
lastly what would you do if you had to
lastly what would you do if you had to spend a billion dollars on your
spend a billion dollars on your
spend a billion dollars on your community now think bigger try to think
community now think bigger try to think
community now think bigger try to think transformative now I’m going to bet that
transformative now I’m going to bet that
transformative now I’m going to bet that most of you have thought about that
most of you have thought about that
most of you have thought about that first question before I think all of us
first question before I think all of us
first question before I think all of us have daydreamed once or twice or a
have daydreamed once or twice or a
have daydreamed once or twice or a couple dozen times about winning lottery
couple dozen times about winning lottery
couple dozen times about winning lottery maybe you want a big house or a fancy
maybe you want a big house or a fancy
maybe you want a big house or a fancy car or maybe you really want to quit
car or maybe you really want to quit
car or maybe you really want to quit your job and drink pina coladas in the
your job and drink pina coladas in the
your job and drink pina coladas in the hammock all day long I’m going to guess
hammock all day long I’m going to guess
hammock all day long I’m going to guess you’ve all thought much less about that
you’ve all thought much less about that
you’ve all thought much less about that second question but something probably
second question but something probably
second question but something probably came to mind pretty quickly maybe
came to mind pretty quickly maybe
came to mind pretty quickly maybe there’s a street that you really want
there’s a street that you really want
there’s a street that you really want five blocks on or maybe you want a dog
five blocks on or maybe you want a dog
five blocks on or maybe you want a dog park in your neighborhood and I’m going
park in your neighborhood and I’m going
park in your neighborhood and I’m going to guess that very few people here have
to guess that very few people here have
to guess that very few people here have ever thought seriously about that last
ever thought seriously about that last
ever thought seriously about that last question and it makes sense that you
question and it makes sense that you
question and it makes sense that you wouldn’t unless you’re a city planner
wouldn’t unless you’re a city planner
wouldn’t unless you’re a city planner you’re probably never going to ask this
you’re probably never going to ask this
you’re probably never going to ask this and a billion dollars really seems like
and a billion dollars really seems like
and a billion dollars really seems like an unfathomable amount of money it
an unfathomable amount of money it
an unfathomable amount of money it certainly did to me but what got me
certainly did to me but what got me
certainly did to me but what got me thinking about this was the beginning of
thinking about this was the beginning of
thinking about this was the beginning of this year when the oakland raiders were
this year when the oakland raiders were
this year when the oakland raiders were the talk of the town every night on the
the talk of the town every night on the
the talk of the town every night on the local news and just about every day in
local news and just about every day in
local news and just about every day in the local online newspaper there was
the local online newspaper there was
the local online newspaper there was some article about the possibility that
some article about the possibility that
some article about the possibility that san antonio could get the oakland
san antonio could get the oakland
san antonio could get the oakland raiders and i kept hearing one number
raiders and i kept hearing one number
raiders and i kept hearing one number thrown around it was 1 billion dollars
thrown around it was 1 billion dollars
thrown around it was 1 billion dollars that was the estimated cost in public
that was the estimated cost in public
that was the estimated cost in public tax dollars it would take to get the
tax dollars it would take to get the
tax dollars it would take to get the oakland raiders to relocate here and
oakland raiders to relocate here and
oakland raiders to relocate here and this really seemed impossible to me but
this really seemed impossible to me but
this really seemed impossible to me but then Las Vegas proved me wrong and it
then Las Vegas proved me wrong and it
then Las Vegas proved me wrong and it turns out the number wasn’t very far
turns out the number wasn’t very far
turns out the number wasn’t very far off because they’ve recently agreed to a
off because they’ve recently agreed to a
off because they’ve recently agreed to a deal with the team owners that’s gonna
deal with the team owners that’s gonna
deal with the team owners that’s gonna bring the Raiders to Las Vegas and
bring the Raiders to Las Vegas and
bring the Raiders to Las Vegas and exchange for 750 million dollars now I
exchange for 750 million dollars now I
exchange for 750 million dollars now I was having a conversation my family one
was having a conversation my family one
was having a conversation my family one night over dinner and my dad said
night over dinner and my dad said
night over dinner and my dad said something really interesting to me he
something really interesting to me he
something really interesting to me he said you know what great let’s raise
said you know what great let’s raise
said you know what great let’s raise that money but instead of building one
that money but instead of building one
that money but instead of building one NFL football stadium what if we chose to
NFL football stadium what if we chose to
NFL football stadium what if we chose to endow the sports programs every single
endow the sports programs every single
endow the sports programs every single college in the city and get world-class
college in the city and get world-class
college in the city and get world-class athletics at every school in town and
athletics at every school in town and
athletics at every school in town and this was an okay idea pretty good maybe
this was an okay idea pretty good maybe
this was an okay idea pretty good maybe but I really didn’t care about that but
but I really didn’t care about that but
but I really didn’t care about that but what was interesting to me about that is
what was interesting to me about that is
what was interesting to me about that is that he had his own idea for how you
that he had his own idea for how you
that he had his own idea for how you could invest a billion dollars in your
could invest a billion dollars in your
could invest a billion dollars in your community so I started thinking about
community so I started thinking about
community so I started thinking about what I would do I was daydreaming about
what I would do I was daydreaming about
what I would do I was daydreaming about how i would spend a billion dollars in
how i would spend a billion dollars in
how i would spend a billion dollars in my city in the change you could have and
my city in the change you could have and
my city in the change you could have and as a scientist I really like numbers and
as a scientist I really like numbers and
as a scientist I really like numbers and so I want to see how the numbers
so I want to see how the numbers
so I want to see how the numbers actually played out it turns out the 29
actually played out it turns out the 29
actually played out it turns out the 29 of 31 NFL cities have invested public
of 31 NFL cities have invested public
of 31 NFL cities have invested public dollars in the last two decades on NFL
dollars in the last two decades on NFL
dollars in the last two decades on NFL teams the average nearly three hundred
teams the average nearly three hundred
teams the average nearly three hundred million dollars this number is climbing
million dollars this number is climbing
million dollars this number is climbing so it turns out it’s possible to invest
so it turns out it’s possible to invest
so it turns out it’s possible to invest that kind of money in your community so
that kind of money in your community so
that kind of money in your community so now I want you to go back to thinking
now I want you to go back to thinking
now I want you to go back to thinking about what you would do if you had a
about what you would do if you had a
about what you would do if you had a billion dollars to change your community
billion dollars to change your community
billion dollars to change your community if you thought about more public parks
if you thought about more public parks
if you thought about more public parks our city could build 5840 community
our city could build 5840 community
our city could build 5840 community parks if you want more public art we
parks if you want more public art we
parks if you want more public art we could raise our public art budget by
could raise our public art budget by
could raise our public art budget by thirty thousand percent in fairness we
thirty thousand percent in fairness we
thirty thousand percent in fairness we could only endow a twelve hundred
could only endow a twelve hundred
could only endow a twelve hundred percent raise if you’re a dog lover like
percent raise if you’re a dog lover like
percent raise if you’re a dog lover like me this is my dog stealing the couch
me this is my dog stealing the couch
me this is my dog stealing the couch from my roommate my favorite photo we
from my roommate my favorite photo we
from my roommate my favorite photo we could spay and neuter 150,000 dogs and
could spay and neuter 150,000 dogs and
could spay and neuter 150,000 dogs and to be clear we could spay and neuter a
to be clear we could spay and neuter a
to be clear we could spay and neuter a whole lot more than that that is the
whole lot more than that that is the
whole lot more than that that is the total number of stray dogs in the city
total number of stray dogs in the city
total number of stray dogs in the city of San Antonio maybe you’re passionate
of San Antonio maybe you’re passionate
of San Antonio maybe you’re passionate about education with 293 million dollars
about education with 293 million dollars
about education with 293 million dollars we could just about make community
we could just about make community
we could just about make community college tuition free for every public
college tuition free for every public
college tuition free for every public high school graduate in the city
high school graduate in the city
high school graduate in the city we could become the most educated city
we could become the most educated city
we could become the most educated city in the world overnight me I’m a
in the world overnight me I’m a
in the world overnight me I’m a scientist I spend my days trying to
scientist I spend my days trying to
scientist I spend my days trying to advance and promote science and so when
advance and promote science and so when
advance and promote science and so when I think about what i would do I look at
I think about what i would do I look at
I think about what i would do I look at cities that did a good job of this and
cities that did a good job of this and
cities that did a good job of this and Pittsburgh they launched a program
Pittsburgh they launched a program
Pittsburgh they launched a program called the Pittsburgh tissue engineering
called the Pittsburgh tissue engineering
called the Pittsburgh tissue engineering initiative with a relatively modest
initiative with a relatively modest
initiative with a relatively modest investment 19 million over 20 years
investment 19 million over 20 years
investment 19 million over 20 years chump change in Paris and what we were
chump change in Paris and what we were
chump change in Paris and what we were talking about they saw six-fold returned
talking about they saw six-fold returned
talking about they saw six-fold returned in federal grant dollars over five dozen
in federal grant dollars over five dozen
in federal grant dollars over five dozen companies founded out of the program and
companies founded out of the program and
companies founded out of the program and they turned the University of Pittsburgh
they turned the University of Pittsburgh
they turned the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon in two world leaders
and Carnegie Mellon in two world leaders
and Carnegie Mellon in two world leaders in tissue engineering with 293 million
in tissue engineering with 293 million
in tissue engineering with 293 million dollars Santonio could become world
dollars Santonio could become world
dollars Santonio could become world leaders in every field and that’s what
leaders in every field and that’s what
leaders in every field and that’s what I’m passionate about but I’m not here to
I’m passionate about but I’m not here to
I’m passionate about but I’m not here to tell you to be passionate about the same
tell you to be passionate about the same
tell you to be passionate about the same thing as me today but the next time
thing as me today but the next time
thing as me today but the next time you’re stuck in traffic instead of a
you’re stuck in traffic instead of a
you’re stuck in traffic instead of a dream about what you do if you want a
dream about what you do if you want a
dream about what you do if you want a lottery I’d like for you to look around
lottery I’d like for you to look around
lottery I’d like for you to look around your community and think about what it
your community and think about what it
your community and think about what it is that you value and think about what
is that you value and think about what
is that you value and think about what it is that we value as a community so
it is that we value as a community so
it is that we value as a community so I’m going to leave you with one more
I’m going to leave you with one more
I’m going to leave you with one more question and this time I want you to
question and this time I want you to
question and this time I want you to think long and hard about it and plan
think long and hard about it and plan
think long and hard about it and plan for it what will we do with 1 billion
for it what will we do with 1 billion
for it what will we do with 1 billion dollars to improve our community thank
”
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