Amazon HQ2

[avromie7]

@avromie7 it sounds like your argument is that really NY should go full hard right and since they are not they should just stay hard left and do nothing.

My argument is they shouldn't be picking winners and losers. There are many other businesses who would bring plenty of jobs if they were offered the same incentives, why does amazon get paid off and no one else does.

[ExGingi]

I couldn't care less about the government tax base expanding, but 25k high-paying jobs was going to be a shot in the arm to the NYC hemish economy which is very much construction and real estate based. I work in construction and this would have benefitted all of us. It was going to create a whole new economy and likely wouldn't have ended with just Amazon.

I'll get back to you with a photo as soon as I have a chance.

[yitzgar]

Does  it really make sense that Amazon backed out because of phony leftist politicians public harassment? They talk out of both sides of their mouth all the time. If it really was worth it for Amazon im pretty sure they would've stayed the course.

[yitzgar]

My argument is they shouldn't be picking winners and losers. There are many other businesses who would bring plenty of jobs if they were offered the same incentives, why does amazon get paid off and no one else does.

As mentioned before, can anyone else bring (high paying) jobs in the same numbers?

[avromie7]

As mentioned before, can anyone else bring (high paying) jobs in the same numbers?

There's no reason they need to all be from the same business, quite the contrary, if they were all from different businesses it would create more competition which would be even better for the employees.

[aygart]

My argument is they shouldn't be picking winners and losers. There are many other businesses who would bring plenty of jobs if they were offered the same incentives, why does amazon get paid off and no one else does.

because

Amazon had to guarantee those jobs, or else the incentives wouldn't be given.

[Dan]

Does  it really make sense that Amazon backed out because of phony leftist politicians public harassment? They talk out of both sides of their mouth all the time. If it really was worth it for Amazon im pretty sure they would've stayed the course.

Why would you want to build in a place where the politicians will be out to get you when you could build in a place where they're welcoming you with open arms?

Smart move by Amazon. They likely would have been shafted with special taxes targeted at them as revenge so that the politicians could score more points.

[yitzgar]

There's no reason they need to all be from the same business, quite the contrary, if they were all from different businesses it would create more competition which would be even better for the employees.

Big governments snowball. Every regulation added requires more to even out the playing field. Best thing for business would be to create a business friendly environment for all, but since they won't, at least at least help one or two big ones. Crony capitalist socialism.

[ExGingi]

Does  it really make sense that Amazon backed out because of phony leftist politicians public harassment? They talk out of both sides of their mouth all the time. If it really was worth it for Amazon im pretty sure they would've stayed the course.

Bezos, being a community property state resident, proved that there are things he cares about more than money.

[yitzgar]

Why would you want to build in a place where the politicians will be out to get you when you could build in a place where they're welcoming you with open arms?

Smart move by Amazon. They likely would have been shafted with special taxes targeted at them as revenge so that the politicians could score more points.

I hear the tzad, butnot convinced. I wouldn't be surprised if they just changed their mind because of internal reasons

[ExGingi]

There's no reason they need to all be from the same business, quite the contrary, if they were all from different businesses it would create more competition which would be even better for the employees.

And less concentration and exposure to a single business.

[Dan]

There's no reason they need to all be from the same business, quite the contrary, if they were all from different businesses it would create more competition which would be even better for the employees.

And less concentration and exposure to a single business.

Porque no los dos?

[yitzgar]

There's no reason they need to all be from the same business, quite the contrary, if they were all from different businesses it would create more competition which would be even better for the employees.

True, but since they won't do anything to make the state/city more business friendly, it is a loss for those who would've gained from this

[aygart]

My argument is they shouldn't be picking winners and losers.

You keep repeating this line over and over again but it makes no sense here. Amazon is already the winner over all of the business that aren't .001% of its size. It is because they are already a winner that they are able to negotiate such deals.

[aygart]

And less concentration and exposure to a single business.

And not going to happen

[ExGingi]

Porque no los dos?

Let me see them create a business development zone. I've mentioned something above about uncontrolled, uneven cell growth.

[avromie7]

Porque no los dos?

Sure

You keep repeating this line over and over again but it makes no sense here. Amazon is already the winner over all of the business that aren't .001% of its size. It is because they are already a winner that they are able to negotiate such deals.

It still makes sense here, the job of government is to allow all businesses to flourish equally, regardless of size they shouldn't get special bribes just because it makes good politics.

[skyguy918]

https://nypost.com/2019/02/14/this-is-the-man-who-delivered-the-death-blow-to-amazon-deal/

[Yonah]

...I also don't buy the argument that Amazon setting up shop here would transform the tech sector in NYC. It's already quite big, and it will never ever rise to the level of Silicon Valley. Google is expanding here as well, without the incentives. If big tech brings other tech, then it's already happening, with or without Amazon.

I don't know about that - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-27/new-york-will-never-be-silicon-valley-and-it-s-good-with-that - It's getting close in terms of dollars raised, and while SF might have some great university talent coming out of Stanford / Cal - NY has no shortage of engineering schools Cooper Union, Columbia, NYU Tandon, CCNY and others. In addition to a lot of big tech presence, there are also dozens of incubators and startups. For example, there is an Incubator for NYC-based startups with Israeli Founders.

People forget that Bloomberg gave money to build NYC Tech on Roosevelt Island - which is connected to LIC - NYC Tech has a joint Cornell/Technion engineering graduate school and incubator.

So really the biggest incentive to NYC is primary and secondary jobs, and income tax. Of those 25K people - how many of their spouses would now work/live in NY? (You can argue that not all 25K would live in NY, but they'd still be paying NY income taxes).

Still, the person who benefits most is Cuomo - just my $0.02

[Yonah]

Amazon had to guarantee those jobs, or else the incentives wouldn't be given.

I would imagine that was the case, but I don't believe that a timeline was publicized.