For two years Amazon burped over 235 mayors across American to spit up more generous incentives than their competition, in order to win the vaulted second headquarters... Newark offered $7Billion. While the mayors burped their hearts out for Mr. Bezos, in the end he divided the prize in two, but keep the whole incentives. While the winners, NYC and Arlington, will give $billions in credits and grants, there are no guarantees, but one, from Amazon.
The one thing Amazon guarantees is the further demise of retail, and the tax base in our cities across America.
One of the factors was supposed to be cost of living for the employees. In NYC, a one bedroom apartment hovers at about $3,000, and rising, with both Amazon and Google on the horizon.
Arlington is across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. I didn't know what to expect from the Washington Post about the decision, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos also owns the paper. Apparently, they decided the decision gave the Post an opportunity to appear fair and balanced, mentioning some negatives in Amazon's contest.
The Morning Call has filed a right to know in regard to the incentives Pennsylvania offered. The state is resisting, claiming the offer is proprietary, because of offers to future employers. I think the taxpayers should know how good our baby politicians can burp.
Burping is a good metaphor. You could have used sugardaddy too. Just to ride in sugardaddys limosine, what would a woman have to do or give for the priveledge. Will it be worth "IT".
ReplyDeleteOld school religion taught there are consequences to all sins. The big ones have the biggest consequences.
Our mainstream media is just like the devil. They only want to tell you all the good stuff of the sins they promote and they hide the bad stuff.
Our NIZ zone is wonderful and its ok to steal from others if it feels good today.
I can praise Harvey Weinstein if he donates lots to my campaign. I can even give Harvey some awards too. But it's always that ulimate question that too many times doesn't get heard soon enough. "WAS IT WORTH IT ?????"
The above comment has nothing to do with the post. Who is going to do this other than citizen or professional journalists?
ReplyDeleteThe Morning Call should push to have incentives of this kind revealed and should publicize them, if for no other reason than our Commonwealth’s general insistence on uniform tax rates.
Public policy choices should be subject to a cost-benefit analysis. Good luck to those Amazon folks finding something affordable and accessible to Queens. They may wish Amazon did a bit more analysis.
I agree fully. I did read yesterday that Pennsylvania finally released the figures on the grounds that before Amazon had picked their headquarters the state had had an interest in preventing the competition from knowing its bid (although I'm not sure that's a legit reason unter the RTK act), but after Amazon made its selection it didn't matter anymore. I consider the Washington Post one of the three great American newspapers (along with the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times) but Amazon is a rotten employer and community citizen.
ReplyDeleterobert@1:01,, that was only one part of the incentive released. Both Pittsburg and Philadelphia made huge plays.
ReplyDeleteConspiracy talk radio says the NYC location was to poke Trump in the eye. However, Presidents are transient, and more likely Bezos wanted quick access to the media markets NYC offers. Employees will have long commutes in many cases, but, that is a fact of life for all working in NYC.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger problem, of course, is that the incentives are simply socialism for the rich, which few complain about. Try and allocate funds to help people with healthcare costs, and the GOP/Reich Wing crowd screams "communism/socialism."