Amazon dumps New York ...................

Amazon’s announcement Thursday that it is abandoning plans to construct a second corporate headquarters New York City is a catastrophic loss for the city, New York state and the metropolitan region.

As a New Yorker, I find it immensely disappointing to see the immediate economic impacts and future economic losses of this unfortunate move. I wholeheartedly believe that New York is a global city that should always strive to diversify its economy and compete on the world stage.

Amazon would have created more than 25,000 jobs in New York City with an average annual salary of over $150,000. The company said that within 15 years it could have employed as many as 40,000 workers in the city in 8 million square feet of office space. It would have invested over $2.5 billion in the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens.

OCASIO-CORTEZ, ELIZABETH WARREN CELEBRATE AMAZON CANCELING NEW YORK HEADQUARTERS AMID BACKLASH

On top of this, Amazon would have stimulated additional innovation and economic development in the New York region in coming years.

Amazon’s unparalleled level of investment and creation of infrastructure would have also benefitted restaurants, shops, real estate, and other businesses seeking to relocate near the new corporate campus.

New York City may never have another major opportunity that would result in such rapid economic development, job creation and increased tax revenue.

Amazon’s plan received mixed reviews from its inception. There was a considerable amount of speculation and controversy over the nearly $3 billion in government incentives that the company was set to receive.

A number of progressive lawmakers and unions argued that the company did not deserve the funds.

But it’s hard to see how depriving as many as 40,000 workers and their families of salaries averaging more than $150,000 per year will save them from “corporate greed” and “worker exploitation.”

One of the leaders of the campaign to keep Amazon out of New York was Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents the area where Amazon would have located in New York City.

Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet celebrating the pull-out by Amazon, writing: “Anything is possible: 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.”

But it’s hard to see how depriving as many as 40,000 workers and their families of salaries averaging more than $150,000 per year will save them from “corporate greed” and “worker exploitation.”

In announcing it would not come to New York, Amazon said in a statement: “… 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.”

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Created on Feb 14th 2019 23:13. Viewed 184 times.

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