COMMENT: Glory Be …
by Rick Reiff
You may recall (I can’t forget) the story on the front
page of the July 9, 2000 Sunday Los Angeles Times, “Dreams of High-Tech Glory Passing O.C. By.”
The story’s premise was that, contrary to conventional wisdom, Orange County simply didn’t measure up to Los Angeles or San Diego as a high-tech hotbed. The news came as a shock to many of us in Orange County,and for good reason, it turned out. The data on which the story was based couldn’t stand scrutiny. One of several examples: The Times inflated the figure for Los Angeles’ high-tech workforce by adding in motion picture jobs. However, being a great newspaper means never having to say you’re sorry, and the Times didn’t.
But now it appears the Times has changed its thinking. According to another front-page story last month, it’s Los Angeles that isn’t keeping pace with its neighbors. The story includes this passage: “The best economic news in Southern California is coming from outside Los Angeles. Many of the region’s biggest public companies, including some of its brightest high-tech stars, are headquartered in Orange, San Diego or Ventura counties.”
Amazing. During a span of only 20 months that included a technology bust, Orange County turned from a high-tech laggard into a high-tech star.
Gee, how did we miss that story?
, Rick Reiff
