Amazon announced Thursday it has canceled its plans to build a corporate campus in New York City. The proposal had faced opposition from some unions and lawmakers, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Times reported. In particular, opponents were aggrieved by a proposal from city and state officials to give the company $3 billion incentives package.
It was a remarkable win for insurgent progressive politicians led by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose upset victory last year happened to occur in the district where Amazon had planned its site. Her win galvanized the party’s left flank, which mobilized against the deal. As recently as Wednesday, the governor had brokered a meeting between Amazon executives and the union leaders who had been resistant to the deal, according to two people briefed on the sit-down. The meeting ended without any compromise on the part of Amazon, according to the people.
Check It Out: Amazon Cancels Plans for New York Campus
Aren’t these “incentives” just a a race to the bottom for local, regional, and state governments ?
It’s not as if Amazon et al are fledgling startups, long on ideas & enthusiasm, short on cash…
Congrats to the union that now gets 100% of nothing along with the rest of the community. You sure showed “them”!! As for the “corporate welfare”, companies ask and communities respond in droves. If you don’t want it to happen then you have to convince others not to do it. Don’t blame them for asking, blame the politicians for the bidding war.
You are absolutely right. All deals have costs. Some direct (like ‘welfare’) and some not, like losing the jobs. Some communities can handle the loss, or the lack of gain, better than others such that the direct costs are not worth it. Others will do almost anything to get it because they are ‘hunger’. If the community is complaining about increased traffic and such, they are not hungry enough.
Well the question is one of degree. Some areas need the boost to the economy that Amazon may provide more than others. This district in NY doesn’t really need it. I really wanted Amazon to plant their new place in southern Michigan. I’d love to see Detroit get it. They had been in the running, but of course Amazon didn’t think it was glamorous enough.
If the business plan does not work WITHOUT incentives it should not happen WITH incentives.
Stop Corporate Welfare.
Right, you know what is best for that community. That they are giving up over 850M a year in tax revenue just from employees, yep, you know that is better for the city. What a joke.
The market will work this out just fine though. Some other city will win a lot. NY’s loss will be their gain.
A win!?!? Insanity. NY Just lost big. AOC blew this for NYC plain and simple. This failure rests with her.