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Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Campus (nytimes.com)
As expected, Amazon said on Thursday that it was canceling plans to build a corporate campus in New York City [The link may be paywalled; alternative source]. From a report: The company had planned to build a sprawling complex in Long Island City, Queens, in exchange for nearly $3 billion in state and city incentives. But the deal had run into fierce opposition from local lawmakers who criticized providing subsidies to one of the world's richest companies. Amazon said the deal would have created more than 25,000 jobs. Amazon's NYC educational investments will continue.
Amazon's statement: "After much thought and deliberation, we've decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens. For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term. While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.
We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion -- we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and culture -- and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community leaders, small business owners, and residents. There are currently over 5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and we plan to continue growing these teams."
Amazon's statement: "After much thought and deliberation, we've decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens. For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term. While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.
We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion -- we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and culture -- and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community leaders, small business owners, and residents. There are currently over 5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and we plan to continue growing these teams."
I've always said if Amazon wants to be really beneficial and transformational, place their HQ2 in a rust-belt city.
Bezos doesn't own a home in a rust-belt city. Unlike Washington, DC or NYC.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Or, NYC could take that $3 Billion dollars and hire 25,000 workers with $50K annual salaries for two years to rebuild and modernize the city's subway system which will provide much greater and longer term economic benefit to the city than an Amazon office building.
Try and live in NYC on $50K.
Problem is it's not $3bn in cash they have handing over, it's $3bn in tax they are not going to collect.
You can't pay people with tax you would have collected if Amazon had come to town.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
I've always said if Amazon wants to be really beneficial and transformational, ...
Stop right there.
Like most companies, Amazon is only interested in maximizing their profit. They won't say that, of course, because their expensive PR teams tell them how stupid it would be. So they spend a few million putting together a BS spiel about being beneficial and transformational - what's a few million against three billion dollars in taxes they won't have to pay?
The real problem is - the local governments buy into the lie hook, line, and sinker. They turn around and tell people Amazon is going to create 25000 jobs, which will be filled by local people. They keep a straight face while they eloquently speak of the billions of tax dollars the local economy will be gaining due to these new positions. Of course it's in their interest to do all this, because they are politicians and need lies like this to prop up their future campaigns.
#DeleteChrome
The median salary in NYC is $50,711.
The thing that bugged me is that New York City has a huge economy by itself. Those Amazon Jobs wouldn't put a real dent in the local economy. Now if they were 100+ miles in upstate, then those would be a big benefit to the local economy.
Metro NY shouldn't have to bend over backwards for Amazon for a fraction of a percent increase in its local economy. While a small town, say a post industrial town, Amazon could bring in new life.
I hoped that Amazon got a lesson from this, that even though you are a big company, don't expect everyone to bend over backwards to kiss your butt.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
The whole HQ2 thing was a scam to begin with. Good to see NY rejecting the con. Opening 2 HQs next to Bezo's other 2 houses was so blatant, I'm amazed he thought it would fly.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Granting the tax break is far, far more expensive.
If the amazon deal is so lucrative, why don't we just give that tax break to every single company that operates in the city? The simple answer is because amazon, and any other company present, costs the city money. Infrastructure has to be maintained, city services have to be provided, etc. All that shit costs money.
If the taxes they collect with the deal aren't enough to cover the expenses of Amazon, then you're just creating a ponzi scheme, with other people stuck picking up the tab.
This is putting the cart before the horse. Corporations exist at the benevolence of society not the other way around. Amazon Corp uses strong arm tactics to wheedle their way out of paying the taxes that they exist to generate, because they are big enough to play municipal governments against each other. Time to break them up.
Actually NYC cleaned itself up in spite of efforts by both political parties. The decline in violence and poverty mirrored that of the rest of the country without regard to political affiliation.