NY Dem Congresswoman Goes Off on Opposition to Amazon HQ2: 'Now We're Protesting Jobs?'

[DonViejo]

by Josh Feldman | Feb 16th, 2019, 10:17 am

Carolyn Maloney, the New York Democrat who represents the district Amazon was planning to build a headquarters in, made it clear last night she’s not happy with the pushback that resulted in Amazon’s reversal, particularly from fellow Democrats.

-snip-

Last night, CNN’s Erin Burnett asked Maloney about Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats celebrating the decision.

“My constituents want jobs,” Maloney said. She talked about the job opportunities that would’ve been available to New Yorkers and told Burnett, “It used to be that we would protest wars. Now we’re protesting jobs?!”

“If this had gone through, it would have made, overnight, New York City the hi-tech capital of the East Coast,” she added.

Burnett went back to how Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives in the Democratic party were very critical of the move. “I’m a progressive too, but I’m pragmatic,” Maloney responded.

video
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/ny-dem-congresswoman-goes-off-on-opposition-to-amazon-hq2-now-were-protesting-jobs/

[manor321]

1. Maloney is wrong. We don't need this massive corporate welfare for the superrich

[muntrv]

2. They are protesting corporate welfare, $3 billion in tax abatements.

[former9thward]

84. Governor Cuomo said the state would get back $9 in taxes for every $1 in incentives.

I believe him over those who have never even been close to running a state government.

[Hoyt]

3. Good point. "I'm a progressive too, but I'm pragmatic," Maloney (Democrat in District) responded.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

13. Not progressive enough to stand up for unions, though.

Or oppose corporate welfare.

[Hoyt]

15. Progressive enough to know that if we want healthcare, education, etc., someone

better be hiring employees. How many people do you know that don’t work for corporations?

However you cut it, I’ll trust the Democrat elected in that district to know what her constituents prefer.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

22. Not all corporations are as vehemently anti-union as Amazon.

And there is no indication how many of those jobs would come from the local workforce. Add to that the way the housing market got totally fucked in Seattle, maybe her constituents don't fully understand the impact of this move.

[lapucelle]

27. Not progressive enough to refuse to market and distribute books through Amazon...

... oh wait...

[DonCoquixote]

4. OK, this will be used on AOC

a lot of centrist democrats who love love love the silicon valley warlords are going to want AoC's head, even thought hey would be among the First driven out once Amazon sets up shop, making the rents skyrocket like fireworks. You know, just because I realize that once the primary is done, I will vote for whatever gets the D nom does nto mean many of us do not see certain people for who they are, and more of these people will fall to the AoC's of the world.

[Apollyonus]

33. Any company that brings 25,000 jobs

would make rents skyrocket.

Same if 25 companies bring 1,000 jobs each.

But, without the companies, there would be no jobs, no disposable income and thus the local small businesses would suffer.

There are far more pragmatic progressives than the Democratic version of the tea party which is "purity or bust" .. and in the real world, one has to bargain and find a common ground.

Polls show that an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers wanted the Amazon deal and supported it.

Amazon needed NYC far less than NYC needed Amazon. Some other city on the East Coast will prosper instead.

[DonCoquixote]

50. I suggest you read

about the very specific effect it had on Seattle, city that already had tech giants to bolster it
https://www.racked.com/2018/6/12/17454480/seattle-tax-amazon-starbucks
https://gawker.com/how-amazon-swallowed-seattle-1724795265
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/us/amazon-seattle-headquarters.html
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-amazon-is-bad-for-new-york-20181114-story.html

[NYC Liberal]

5. Those jobs would not have gone to the local community.

Nope, screw Amazon.

[Anon-C]

31. +1

[Afromania]

36. With an avg of 150k across 25k jobs they are looking for exact fits.

I'm sure they will pull a few folks but the bulk is definitely not going to just be "local". Unless by local they mean people from other Burroughs, the suburbs north of the Bronx and Long Island.

[sharedvalues]

6. Cleveland and other small cities need Amazon way more than NYC

What we need is federal laws preventing Amazon from shopping for tax cuts and playing cities off against each other.

[mjvpi]

55. Bernie said said the feds should cut off highway funds to states that undercut each other.

It’s a race to the bottom.

[Downtown Hound]

7. Protesting crap wage jobs that will only enslave people

While their fat cat masters get rich and get tax breaks and real estate prices get pushed even higher putting even further squeeze on the workers.

No thanks Amazon. When you start paying your workers a decent wage and you start paying taxes, then come back and speak with us then.

[Apollyonus]

34. These would have been tech jobs

paying 6 figures.

[radius777]

8. Agree w/Maloney

Most regular NY'ers, including most PoC and most Dem voters, want Amazon to come because it would help to modernize the area and bring the high tech industry.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/nyregion/amazon-long-island-city.html

The people protesting were the Bernie/AOC type crowd.

As I've stated before, most NY'ers (as most big city people) are not left-wing populists, but center-left internationalists (iow, Clinton/Obama Dems) who embrace pro-business policies and trade, balanced w/gov't safety nets and reg's to protect the middle class.

Amazon was going to employ many of the people in the area, but they got shouted down, and said 'fuck it' - one of the biggest companies in the world (who other cities are lining up to welcome) is not going to deal with such bullshit.

[Downtown Hound]

12. I've been a Californian for 33 years, grew up here

I can tell you exactly what happens when companies like Amazon get their tax breaks for providing shitty, low wage jobs. It creates a permanent underclass of people that work hard and work full time yet can't even afford to rent a 1 bedroom apartment because of housing shortages and skyrocketing rents. In turn, homelessness skyrockets, and you end up having way more problems then you ever would have had if they had just taken their crappy jobs someplace else.

You may think New York lost out here. I can tell you from the heart of the Bay Area, the birthplace of the tech scene and now has overwhelming gentrification problems, that it dodged a major bullet. We have to start standing up to companies like this at some point, or pretty soon there won't be affordable rent or housing anywhere.

[radius777]

17. CA and WA were conservative Western states

up until very recently, which lacked the legal/political structure to deal with the fallout from the emergence of the tech industry during the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond.

NY has a long history of balancing big business and working class needs, and would've had no problem keeping Amazon or any other big corp in line with NY values.

[Downtown Hound]

18. Bullshit

Tech is concentrated in the Bay Area which has been liberal for decades, long before the internet and Microsoft were even a thin. Still didn't stop the massive gentrification that happened.

[suffragette]

25. Yes and same with Seattle and Amazon. You described the situation accurately.

[radius777]

56. WA still has no income tax

and has high sales taxes - hardly progressive.

CA was a deeply Reagan Republican state before the 90's.

[suffragette]

62. WA is a divided purple state, mostly Republican east of the Cascades. Seattle is solidly blue and so

are its elected officials.

You’re correct about the lack of income tax and how that is not progressive. That is a statewide issue and the combination of eastside Republicans and west side uberwealthy like Bezos and Schultz have kept reform of state income tax from being passed. In contrast, Bill Gates Sr. has been a strong proponent of having a state income tax. Note that Bezos and Schultz aren’t from here while Bill Gates Sr is.

But you are not correct about this area having a history of being conservative. Seattle has tended to progressive for a long time. Yes, that journey has not always been easy or without harmful setbacks, but it it has been toward progressive and because it is a large population center, this has local, regional and state impact.

[former9thward]

90. Why are you bringing up Gates Sr.?

Someone in their mid 90s who hardly has any income that would be taxed.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

92. Gates Sr. was the one who pushed for an income tax in WA last go around

Yet interestingly many of the so called left came out against it.

[suffragette]

94. Addressing the poster's point about progressiveness and income tax in WA and pointing out some

very interesting distinctions between the wealthy who supported an income tax and those who didn’t.

Gates, Sr. has been at the forefront of proposing an income tax here as a more progressive method of taxation. He was a successful attorney and while not in the stratospheric range of some of Washington’s billionaires, he is a wealthy person who wants a fairer system.

There’s also the contrast of him being from here while billionaires who fought this the most are not. That includes Ballmer as well as Bezos and Schultz.

https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1025/focus-ballmer-gates-soros-estate-tax-billionaire-tax-battle.html#5665a77f37aa

In Washington State, for example, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have given $100,000 each to defeat ballot initiative 1098, which would slap a 5% tax on income over $400,000 per couple and a 9% levy on income over $1 million. On the other side is the nation's richest man, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates--not surprising, since his dad is promoting the new tax, which would fund education, health care and other tax cuts. Gates Sr., 84, has given $500,000 to the 1098 campaign and even filmed a comic "soak the rich" ad for it, which ends with him dropped into a dunk tank.

Gates Sr. readily concedes he's in the minority among the highly affluent. "It's quite natural for people who are well-to-do to resist paying more taxes. In fact, it's quite natural for every person, everywhere, of whatever means, to resist paying more taxes," he says. "The interesting side," he adds, "is the number of people who are well-to-do who feel that this is something that should happen and that taxation should be progressive." (Washington State now relies on real estate and sales taxes, which hit the less wealthy harder.)

[dlk]

9. Rahm Emanuel Made Interesting Comments on Last Night's Real Time

One thing he stated was Chicago has been #1 for the past 5 years with bringing in new businesses. (He touted the best educated workforce as a major reason.) Rahm stated that if Amazon had agreed to renovate the subway stop by the proposed NY business site, Bezos would have been hailed a hero. Obviously, the tax code needs revamping with respect to corporate welfare. Until that happens, there are creative ways around it that benefit everyone while creating more jobs.

[Hoyt]

21. Saw Emanuel last night. Expected people to bash him today like they did

when he was in Obama’s admin.

[OnDoutside]

88. I thought he was excellent last night, and made many valid points

not least about Amazon. AOC would be best termed a Loose Cannon, and I think she will do as much damage as good until she gets the experience that rubbing people up the wrong way will bring you down eventually.

[kimbutgar]

10. Another treat for chuck toads " Dem's in disarray"narrative

I swear the Democratic Party needs to stop attacking each other and get in line against the corporate greed of Amazon and other companies who pay no taxes, the orange menace and his repuke cultists.

[TygrBright]

11. Protesting SHITTY jobs. And an inevitable affordable housing shortage.

And appalling traffic issues and mass transit shortages.

And infrastructure degradation.

Oh, and did I mention SHITTY jobs?

Yeah, I'm okay with protesting all that.

As long as city leaders are prepared to fucking sell everything down the river for the appearance of "economic development" in the form of shitty jobs and corporate oligarchs' enormous tax boondoggles, the beat-down of the middle and working class just goes on, and on, and on.

"Any job" is NOT better than no job at all, not in the big picture, provide for peoples' future, community stability, and family sustainability sense.

wearily,
Bright

[Hoyt]

14. Yeah, the jobs averaged $150K. This was not a shipping hub.

[Downtown Hound]

16. Exactly what the tech jobs in the Bay Area pay

Know what happens then? Rent skyrockets, and only a few people can afford it. The rest of the working class gets screwed. Come on out to the Bay Area and try and rent an apartment sometime and you'll see what I mean.

[Hoyt]

19. You live in the Bay Area I assume?

[Downtown Hound]

38. North Bay. Yes.

And every time I walk through the downtown, I pass anywhere from 20 to 30 homeless people. And I would guess that roughly half of them are employed full time. They just don't get paid enough to afford a roof over their heads.

[Hoyt]

41. But you can afford it and get to live in an area that most of us only dream of.

I’m sorry, but I just left my urban home as I prepare for retirement because I can’t really afford it anymore.

The problem is not Amazon. It’s more likely population growth and you want to live in an area most wish we could. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s not Amazon’s fault.

Now the people on the streets or poor people who get displaced when they really have nowhere to go, are a concern.

[radius777]

53. Exactly, nobody is entitled to live in prime real estate.

The areas directly bordering the big city, like the city itself, are prime real estate that will see some level of gentrification. But the business growth there will benefit all of the working class folks who live in the surrounding neighborhoods, that are relatively affordable to live in - and benefit from the taxes that the rich and corps pay.

What many are missing is that unlike Seattle and Silicon Valley - NY (city and state) has a long history and framework in place of balancing business and working class needs.

CA and WA were libertarian conservative Western states. WA still has no income tax - yet has high sales tax, which is regressive, and it's policies like that that allowed big tech to devour the area.

[Me.]

58. What People Forget

Is that in any city you need the infrastructure of grocery, store, cleaners hardware stores that comes with everyday living and those who work in these places, including bars, restaurants etc. don't earn 150k. Already in NY, a closet is prime real estate.

[radius777]

63. The surrounding boroughs are affordable

and have plenty of housing and services for middle class folks.

Nobody is entitled to live in the trendy/yuppie areas bordering Manhattan.

[Me.]

65. Really?

When's the last time you looked? That's what it used to be like. And so only the rich are entitled to live in Manhattan? And how long do you think the rich will stay with no services of any sort available to them.

[radius777]

70. Fact of life

The city center historically attracts the rich, yuppies etc. These people are usually liberal and willing to subsidize the middle class via higher taxes, programs etc. As long as the rich/corps generate enough economic growth, pay enough taxes, provide enough jobs etc - it benefits the middle class - much better than if they were not there.

The outer rings of the city (the 5 boroughs and surrounding counties such as Nassau) are still mostly middle class areas.

[Me.]

72. You Are Kidding Yourself If You Think Yuppies

can afford the prices and as we've seen, much of the tax benefit benefit the rich who often don't pay their fair share. So far, its the middle class keeping the city afloat

[Cuthbert Allgood]

23. So not average working class jobs.

Probably not for the current constituents living there, right?

[Hoyt]

26. I suspect current constituents in NYC aren't untrained, uneducated people.

[lapucelle]

32. Actually, you're quite wrong abou Maloney's district and contitituents. N/T

[Cuthbert Allgood]

37. Well, she makes it sound in the OP like she has a constituency in need of jobs.

If that's not the case, that's on her. (For the record, I do know that her district has the highest median income in the country, I believe. Or it used to.)

[lapucelle]

49. The assumption seemed to be that people in her district would not be qualified enough for the jobs.

So not average working class jobs.
Probably not for the current constituents living there, right?

First there was an assumption that working class class people are unqualified; now there seems to be an assumption that people in the district don't need jobs. Her district is comprised of diverse neighborhoods across three of the five NYC boroughs.

Perhaps we are all best off not splainin' the needs of her constituents to the congresswoman who represents them.

[eleny]

20. Couldn't the $3B in incentves create more good paying jobs than Amazon promised?

Infrastructure and environmental jobs alone would have been great paying jobs for people with many different levels of education and experience.

[Hoyt]

24. Except, it's not like there was $3 Billion in bank. NYC was forging $3 B

in future IF Amazon met certain goals. Those employees would have paid a lot in taxes to fund other things.

[eleny]

29. They can't offer a group of deals adding up to the same money to locals?

I grew up in Queens and it's a crowded county. If I'm reading things right Amazon was going to bring in a lot of employees from outside NYC. The housing crunch would have become so much worse. Housing costs would bring such intense pressure on the locals who could be forced out.

So I just have to wonder how it would benefit the city more by offering the same aggregate of incentives to local businesses to expand and offer the kind of services that would improve the city.

Amazon is too much of a prima donna as proven by their pulling out in a huff. I think partnering with locals might be something to look at. You can buy a lot of of good will and pride of place that way.

[Hoyt]

35. If you live there, have the skills, you'd have first shot a jobs.

Unfortunately, most people seem to want growth vs. stagnation or even decline. Not sure why, but seems true.

If you want to blame someone, blame population growth and people who want better paying jobs. That seems like the problem to me, not Amazon or any other company wanting to locate in prestigious localities with highly skilled employees.

[Apollyonus]

39. NY was not writing a check to Amazon

The $3 billion was in tax credits over a period of time and only if triggered by Amazon's promises of development and job creation. De Blasio, a progressive I might add, was the architect of the deal. Andrew Cuomo, another progressive, signed off on it.

[Hoyt]

43. +1. Good luck.

[Apollyonus]

44. ty kindly nt

[eleny]

46. Like I also asked - they can't offer that value of incentives to locals?

I guess not.

[lapucelle]

83. What do you want them to incentivize "locals" to do? N/T

[eleny]

87. That's in my first post in this sub thread

[lapucelle]

91. That's not alternate proposal through which "locals" will bring in 25,000 jobs. N/T

[madville]

52. All these people complaining about the 3 Billion are clueless

The projected economic impact to the area was 27 billion over 25 years. 3 billion in tax breaks is still a large net economic gain to the local area. The Congresswoman has every right to be upset at the outcome for her constituents.

[Apollyonus]

54. +1,000,000

But the $3 billion number can easily get some people riled up and then some of them refuse to see the big picture.

[Hoyt]

76. Exactly. Appreciate the data. There's a reason so many areas competed for them.

[radius777]

61. Exactly. Now NY gets nothing.

$3b was a staggered incentive - which was much lower than what other cities (some $8b) were offering.

DeBlasio is a progressive, Cuomo is a centrist - both agreed that the Amazon deal was good for NY.

"Democrats can't love jobs but hate the people who create them." - John Kerry

[comradebillyboy]

69. I like that Kerry quote.

[Liberal In Texas]

28. I think we're protesting corporate welfare.

I'll do the same if they try and move here next.

[Nanjeanne]

30. Amazon says they would bring in 25,000 jobs by end of June 2028. At what would amount to a cost

by the city of $48,000 per job. Now maybe they would create those 25,000 jobs. And maybe they wouldn't. They also said that the average salary of those jobs was going to be $150,000. Well that sure wasn't going to be for warehouse workers. Do people really believe that Amazon was actually going to hire local people for salaries of $150,000 and above? Or was Amazon going to relocate their high-paid executives to the area - and maybe hire some local people at Amazon $12/hour wages? And who wouldn't be able to unionize. Who then would have difficulty finding affordable rents in the area.

For the facility Amazon is planning on building in Arlington, VA - which is also supposed to be about the same size and also with a promise of 25,000 jobs - Virginia’s commonwealth government only offered $750 million in grants, split across two phases, for the Arlington County HQ2 location. The first $550 million is set to be paid out from 2024 through 2030 based on Amazon hiring the promised 25,000 new jobs. An additional $220 million will be given to Amazon if it adds another 12,850 new jobs. So a much less expensive ransom note is being paid in VA.

If Bezos wants to build in LIC - let him build. He has the money to do it and doesn't need taxpayers subsidizing him and his heliport.

Because these taxpayer subsidized corporate welfare gigs have worked out so well in the past. Just ask Wisconsin about FoxConn. Or GE that moved out of CT for MA and now has to give back millions in subsidies because they aren't really creating the jobs they promised they would.

[Apollyonus]

42. Amazon already has a warehouse in Queens

This was going to be a tech center with techie jobs paying 6 figure incomes.

The effect of all that disposable income would have been huge on the local economy -- more housing construction, more shopping, more eating out. It is very similar to Obama's stimulus package after the GW Bush disaster -- Obama's infusion of about $800 billion save the economy from a depression because it created jobs generating 10 folds of that money to the GDP.

Even Trump hasn't yet fucked up the Obama economic boom despite incompetence -- it was THAT durable.

Creating high-paying jobs is a progressive issue. Obama is a progressive. Obama never sought purity - he is pragmatic.

I support the pragmatic-progressive congresswoman.

[TexasBushwhacker]

47. Wow, are there 25K unemployed high salary tech people in Queens?

Half that many? A third? If not, they would have been brought in, which does little for the existing community except drive up housing prices.

[Apollyonus]

51. If there wasn't enough local talent

Amazon would never have chosen the site.

Businesses don't make vital decisions based upon only tax incentives. Tax incentives are only a minor factor. Feasibility, viability and adding enterprise value are the prime concerns.

The 25,000 were to materialize by 2028 ... and surely, with the news, housing construction would have spiked, created construction jobs and any steep drop in housing availability abated.

It's not like 25,000 people were suddenly start looking for apartments and houses all at once. (Even if you assume that all of them would come from outside)

Nevertheless, wherever those people came from, they would be buying cars, groceries, clothes, vitamins, sneakers etc. locally. They'd be eating at local restaurants, going to local movie theaters and local bowling alleys. The money would have stayed in NY, generating jobs, profits and tax revenue.

[Squinch]

66. This! They would have to import people anyway. Why not go to someplace that is

struggling like Cleveland or Detroit? Why swarm over someplace that is already booming and reduce quality of life ther eby increasing the congestion and infrastructure overuse?

[TexasBushwhacker]

68. I'm sure that part of it is that they feel that they can attract the talent

needed by being in the NYC area, but then why give them a tax rebate? I could see a distressed area, like Cleveland or Detroit, giving them the $3 Billion because they desperately need more people with good jobs and everything that brings along with it. But does NYC really need more people, at any price? Frankly, I was surprised they didn't go with Austin. No state income tax means that $150K salary goes a lot farther.

[Me.]

59. +1

[Lunabell]

40. We want an end to corporate welfare.

Why should taxpayers foot the bill for billionaires' extravagant lifestyles? It's killing the planet.

[quickesst]

45. First of all....

.... There is absolutely zero evidence that these jobs would not have gone to the people living in the area.
Another argument I have heard and responded to but never received a reply for stated this individual would rather see a hundred little Amazon's rather than one big corporate Amazon. There was the potential for 25,000 new jobs at Amazon located in New York. My question was:

"Do you have insight as to when these 100 small businesses will begin, and how long will it take these businesses collectively to employ 25000 people?" I will also add, how many of these 100 businesses will offer competitive wages?

While pondering that, there are 25,000 people that could use a job right now, but that opportunity is kaput.

Another argument that I've heard frequently is that ocasio-cortez had nothing to do with the pullout of Amazon, denying 25,000 New Yorkers the opportunity for employment. I beg to differ.

Snip:
One of the most vocal opponents of Amazon's planned presence in Queens was Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose congressional district borders the district that includes Long Island City.

"Anything is possible," she tweeted on Thursday in response to Amazon's decision. "Today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon's corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/02/14/ocasio-cortez-amazon-cancelling-nyc-hq-proves-anything-is-possible.htmlhis

Yep, a group of dedicated everyday New Yorkers and of course politicians, but mainly politician, which this poll clearly shows Ocasio Cortez and a minority of "dedicated New Yorkers" were on the wrong side according to a majority of New Yorkers as this poll clearly shows.

Demographic *
NYS voters 56%
NYC voters 58%
Democrats 56%
Republicans 47%
Others 64%
Union workers 53%
Nonunion workers 57%
White 51%
African-American 70%
Latino 81%
18-34 57%
35-54 60%
55+ 52%
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/all-kinds-new-york-voters-support-amazon-hq-deal

Take special note of the African American(70%), and the Latino(81%) demographic. The only demographic favoring the rejection of Amazon is the Repuglican demographic.

I stand by the majority of New Yorkers who I believe have the capability of knowing what is in their best interest, unlike those people who do not believe New Yorkers are capable of making good decisions, and need a minority of "dedicated New Yorkers and politicians to make those decisions for them.

[Apollyonus]

57. Great post, thank you

But ... religious zealots worshiping goddesses don't listen to logic.

[quickesst]

77. But....

.... they can't deny facts. Well, they can. I think they call them alternative facts.
The post I made most likely will end up like the others that can't be answered. They will move on to a different thread and just hope they don't run into me again.

[Apollyonus]

78. Goddess tells them what to believe

and those are then the facts.

[pangaia]

48. Hi-tech capital of the east coast.. ???

Uh, I don't THINK so....

[brooklynite]

60. Here's my understanding of the position of the anti-Amazon folks...

Amazon coming to NYC is bad because it pays people poorly and they can't afford to live in the City.

--- and ---

Amazon coming to NYC is bad because it pays people well which will raise the cost of living in the City.

Do I have that right?

[Squinch]

64. Have you listened to any of the people who live in Seattle talking about their home before and

after Amazon took it over and sucked it dry? There have been plenty of first person accounts right here on DU. It sounds nightmarish.

No one did anything to make Amazon change their minds other than to suggest their presence in NYC might not be all sunshine and roses. They decided to take their ball and go home. I couldn't be happier.

[Nanjeanne]

71. Yup. And interesting article about how Amazon stopped the proposed "head tax" proposed

Seattle officials scuttled a corporate tax on Tuesday that they had wholeheartedly endorsed just a month ago, delivering a win for the measure’s biggest opponent — Amazon — and offering a warning to cities bidding for the retailer’s second headquarters that the company would go to the limit to get its way.

The tax would have raised about $50 million a year to help the homeless and fund affordable housing projects. As Seattle has boomed over the last decade, in large part because of Amazon, which is based there, rents have soared and some residents have suffered. The city’s homeless population is the third largest in the country, after New York and Los Angeles.

snip

Within days, that vision was in tatters. Amazon, which had already succeeded in watering down the original tax after halting expansion plans in protest, joined other Seattle-based corporate interests such as Starbucks, the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s investment firm Vulcan and local food and grocery firms. All showed they would fight the law, and at least some residents took their side.

[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/technology/seattle-tax-amazon.html|

[Me.]

74. Yet Another Point Of View

"I don't think it's a failure for Amazon, but a sign of changing times where the idolatry of tech innovators — and their firms — has peaked," said Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at NYU's Stern Business School.

Although customers still flock to Amazon, the mystique it long enjoyed has largely vanished over the past decade. A garish 2011 portrayal of Amazon's treatment of warehouse workers in a local Allentown, Pennsylvania, newspaper didn't help matters. Neither did a bruising 2015 New York Times investigation into Amazon's workplace culture. Leaked, intimate details about Bezos' sex scandal clouded his aura too.

"Amazon is on its heels," said Zephyr Teachout, a professor at Fordham Law School and a critic of Amazon's HQ2 plans in New York who has also opposed one of its chief proponents, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. "There are many reasons it pulled out, but one of them has to be that they were suddenly getting their entire business model scrutinized after years of mostly glowing coverage."

The goodwill Amazon gained over the years through its fast delivery and low prices evaporated enough that New Yorkers protested its arrival in their city. Large, taxpayer-funded subsidies to bring Amazon to New York may have been a step too far. An Amazon spokesman did not comment for this article beyond its public statement. “

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/14/tech/amazon-new-york/index.html

[Nanjeanne]

75. Another point of view? I think Teachout is right and supports what was in the article

about corporate power.

[comradebillyboy]

80. Teachout would have more credibility if she could win an election.

Everyone loves Teachout except the voters.

[Me.]

81. I Do Too

But it is yet another voice added to the conversation

[Adrahil]

67. We're gonna lose this propaganda fight.

Folks opposing the tax abatements are right. But we will not see that. What we WILL see is video of “AOC all happy that 25,000 high paying jobs are going elsewhere”

We are already losing the narrative war - badly. This is going to hurt us if we do not change the narrative, and fast.

[BluegrassDem]

86. It's horrible...it makes Republicans look like the party for jobs and Dems the party of job killers

I don't understand how people on our side can be this stupid to gloat about stopping jobs coming to an urban area with mostly minorities that need stable income.

[R B Garr]

73. This is an optics disaster to be gloating over killing

jobs. No one wanting those opportunities is going to give a crap about “sending messages”, which is all this is about. Hardly progressive, just superficial talking points.

Amazon is not going to ruin New York, gawd. I’ve read those who bring up Seattle, and honestly a lot of what they describe is all over the country with the house flippers who have ruined so many areas, especially entry-level housing because they pay cash and always get the bids.

I bet there are plenty of people who care more about a paycheck then pats on the back for repeating anti-corporations rhetoric.

[Apollyonus]

79. +1000 nt

[sheshe2]

82. R B Garr.

73. This is an optics disaster to be gloating over killing

jobs.

Brava!

[AncientGeezer]

89. No one wanting those opportunities is going to give a crap about "sending messages",

Yes.

[RandySF]

85. Twitter's presence in San Francisco hasn't helped the city one bit.

[shanny]

93. NY Dem Congresswoman needs to get a clue.

This headline ought to help her out:

https://theweek.com/speedreads/823590/amazon-pay-0-federal-income-taxes-second-year-row