That’s quite a headline there.  Point is, I’ll be the guy with the mic, asking all the hard questions. I’ve prepared a list of them, and I’m posting them here for the panelists to review before the meeting so they’ll know what kinds of questions I think Bill Segal could benefit from hearing us answer.  If you want to follow the conversation online, we’ll be tweeting about it Friday from 2.30 under the hashtag #SegalChat.

To clarify: Bill Segal is not an Internet / digital technology master. He’s not supposed to be. He’s the guy running for office. However, he is pretty well tech savvy, from what I’ve gathered, and he’s asking us to tell him what we think he should know. So, panelists, here’s the list of questions that I’ll be asking you in the hopes that you’ll have good answers for Bill:

1. Recently, incubators such as the Varick Street business incubator in New York city have demonstrated that even in a down economy, a municipality can foster growth and attract venture capitalist dollars into an economy. Do you think that Orange County could set up a business incubator that grows digital businesses in a similar fashion to the Varick Street incubator? What do you think that incubator would need to do to encourage growth?
2. What do you think are the determining factors in the success or failure of a new digital business? How can a Orange County help influence these factors to encourage a new business’s survival?
3. Some cities have experimented with providing free wifi throughout the entire municipality, ranging in size from small towns in Iowa to cities like Philadelphia and Taipei. While the benefits and ROI for those programs are debatable for small business, can you think of a similar public technology initiative that would be beneficial to growing digital business?
4. Do you think that promoting ‘Net neutrality at a municipal or county level is possible? Is it necessary?
5. The major players in technology and digital growth–companies like Lockheed-Martin, Disney, UCF, and some of the downtown Orlando startups are scattered across Seminole County and Orange County, which can make collaboration difficult. How can Orange County help bridge some of these gaps and help these companies work together to set policy that will foster growth in their industries.
6. The quality of education is crucial for a business looking to recruit local help to get its fledgling startup off the ground. What do you think of the quality of graduates you are seeing in your interviews today? How can Orange County work to improve their ability to participate in a digital business?
7. You can argue that a good part of what got Silicon Valley started in the 90′s was the tax breaks that San Francisco offered to qualifying new startups. Florida doesn’t have a state income tax like California, but what can Orange County do to encourage digital innovators to come here to launch their dreams?
8. Small businesses, especially in a down economy, need reliable income to make a base from which to build their innovative technology. Do you feel that the Orlando and Orange County government offers opportunity for small business to work with it and receive much-needed funds by providing Orange County with applications or websites? How can the county make it easier for small businesses to learn about these opportunities?

Can you think of anything that I’ve omitted? Let me know and I’ll be sure to ask it.