Voters in NY-14 thought it was a bad thing when Amazon cancelled plans to build HQ in Queens

[RandySF]

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Voters in AOC's district, NY-14, thought by a 57-32 margin that it was a bad thing when Amazon cancelled its plans to build a headquarters in Queens. https://bit.ly/2KoXaVW

[Renew Deal]

1. Most people I speak with think it's a bad thing it was cancelled

[democratisphere]

2. I'm not sure HQ2 would have ever been built........

anywhere at this time. The fact that Bezos didn't pick an alternate location and instead added more jobs at existing Amazon facilities, leads me to believe this.

[spooky3]

3. Well, HQ2 definitely is being built in NoVA. Nt

[OnDoutside]

4. Ouch!

[democratisphere]

13. 1/2 of Amazon HQ2 will be built in Arlington, VA. The NYC portion of HQ2

will not be built there or anywhere. The NYC jobs will be relocated to existing Amazon facilities. Many existing Amazon HQ1 jobs in Seattle, WA are apparently being located to Bellevue, WA.

[spooky3]

14. Your earlier post said HQ2 would not be built anywhere. Thats

Last edited Thu Apr 11, 2019, 10:21 AM - Edit history (1)

Not correct, unless you are defining HQ2 in a different way than is Amazon. Only the NY part of it is not going forward.

[democratisphere]

16. I was referencing the NYC portion that will not be relocated anywhere.

[spooky3]

17. Ok; thx. Nt

[Me.]

26. And Virginia Got A Pretty Sweet Deal

[spooky3]

37. Yes, it's looking that way. But I guess we will see

if Amazon will be a good neighbor—and if Bezos will become an even bigger thorn in Cheeto’s side.

[JI7]

5. does it ask whether they would support giving Amazon tax breaks

and other things in order to bring it there ?

[RandySF]

6. Looks like it.

Q25. Governor Cuomo and others have been trying to woo Amazon to reconsider its decision. The proposal would have New York grant up to three billion dollars in state and city incentives to Amazon in return for Amazon creating up to 25 thousand jobs. Do you support or oppose that deal?

Support: 58%
Oppose: 35%

[Wounded Bear]

18. "state and city incentives"...

kind of a bullshit way to describe TAX BREAKS, dontcha think?

[BlueFlorida]

21. The tax incentives are a good thing

Amazon would have brought 10 folds the tax revenue so it would have been a net gain of 9 folds in tax revenue. Now NY gets nothing.

It is a no-brainer. Furthermore, almost all states offer incentives to lure businesses to relocate in their territory. NY is not alone.

Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas lead in the tax incentives that are offered.

By the way, NY offers the same package (proportionately) to any business to relocate in NY. Hatred of Amazon and Bezos (the only reason some people hate him is because he is rich) is what killed the deal.

To some of us, Bezos is an inspiring role model. He created a multi-billion dollar company from scratch. The poor guy was carrying heavy books to the post office daily and his back was hurting badly. The quote from his book is "I hope some day I can afford a forklift so my back would stop hurting."

[comradebillyboy]

30. yes!

[Autumn]

20. Who is going to make up those three billion dollars in "grants AKA tax breaks" ? Ny is one state

that allows some companies to keep and pocket state taxes that are deducted from the employees paycheck. It happened here in CO. Property taxes will go up as will other taxes.

[BlueFlorida]

22. Amazon would have brought in $30 billion

in tax revenue.

$3 billion over 20 years is chump change for a state like NY.

According to the state, Amazon will generate $27.5 billion in state and city revenue over 25 years, a 9:1 ratio of revenue to subsidies—an arrangement Cuomo called “the highest rate of return for an economic incentive program the state has ever offered.”

https://www.apnews.com/067a627f5c054fdeb415b115b53e0ec7

[Autumn]

23. You know who would have made up the tax breaks? The people. That

"the highest rate of return" promise was made here. The jobs ended up after a couple of years, being part time. Property taxes never went down and other taxes were voted in for infrastructure repairs. When the details are worked out in secret the people get screwed. When people wanted details Bezos backed out. Not to mention the loss of taxes to the state that the people had withheld from their pay but didn't go to the state, some got a state tax refund because they qualified for it . Taxes will be collected. If not from a wealthy fucker like Bezos, they will be collected from the family down the street or the little sandwich shop next door.

[BlueFlorida]

24. Yes .. people with new high paying JOBS and small business opportunities

That is how the system works.

The constituency knows this -- they would rather have jobs and higher income and better money-making opportunities.

By driving away Amazon, who was the loser? Certainly not Amazon - some other state will roll out the red carpet for them.

It is the people of NY-14 who lost. Lost BIG.

[Hortensis]

25. Right. Amazon will bring in far more wealth and

do it starting immediately, unlike the various breaks it's getting, most in the form of tax and other such breaks, over a period of years.

I'm not at all surprised NY-14 didn't like this. According to Roll Call, only 5% of those registered voted; only 11% of Democrats. The rest of those who would normally vote were complacent about the representation they assumed they would still have from a top Democratic leader in congress, instead of their Wednesday Morning Surprise.

That said, Ocasio has gained a great deal in name recognition and popularity POST-election due to her national press coverage, and that seat is now hers to keep or lose.

[Me.]

27. 3 Billion?

THey make so much money and want to suck 3 billion in assets from the city? And those jobs...they have 10 years to produce them if they ever do.

[TeamPooka]

29. Poll "tax breaks" and you'll get a different set of numbers.

[BluegrassDem]

7. AOC should learn that people actually WANT to work and have a job!

Stop with silly tax breaks stuff. Amazon provides a check, decent benefits, and puts food on the table.

[rownesheck]

9. Maybe,

but when the CEOs are billionaires, they obviously aren't paying their employees enough. I will never trust any corporation to do the right thing and treat its workers with respect when they are expecting tax breaks and other incentives in order to build headquarters somewhere. We as a nation need to quit groveling at the feet of these CEOs. They need to be begging US to ALLOW them to build, and ONLY if they promise the utmost respect to the workers. CEOs can go F themselves.

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. [phone]!

[JI7]

12. that's why we have things like minimum wage and other laws . maybe there should be a law where

if a corporation makes a certain amount of money and executives get a certain amount the minimum wage for those jobs should be higher . that way small businesses that don't make much wont be affected .

[lgrnwd]

32. This is a great idea

I always want to (and have) supported minimum wage hikes, but the thing that gives me pause about drastic min wage hikes is the affects it has on small business owners. But tying the minimum wage to the profit of the business and/or pay of the CEO sounds like a great idea!

[Cha]

8. That's surprising... I thought

they didn't want it.

[Dorian Gray]

10. No...

most New Yorkers thought bringing jobs to NYC was a good idea.

What NYers didn't like was the secrecy from DiBlasio and Cuomo about the courting of Amazon. And the competition from Amazon, which seemed to benefit them more than the state it would end up in.

Amazon cut and ran as soon as they got any pushback, so I don't think they really wanted to be here.

[edhopper]

15. To be straight about this

NY did not stop Amazon or pull the tax breaks. Bezos pulled the plug when local pols like AOC started questioning the deal. The Mayor and other officials invited Amazon to discuss how they could do more, like more infrastructure or guaranteed local hires, Amazon just walked away.

Those 15,000 or 25,000 or whatever bullshit number they promised was over 20 years.

Also, Long Island City is doing just fine without Amazon.

?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale

[Me.]

28. Quite, Especially About The JObs

And frankly, wanting to siphon off 3 Billion in assets and credits is pure out and out greed.

[gratuitous]

39. No, no

I'm sure Bezos and Amazon were prepared to guarantee all their verbal promises in writing, with iron-clad recourse for any failure on their part to live up to those promises, even years down the line. That's just good business and good corporate citizenship, to stand behind your word like that.

*MMMMPPPH!*

I knew I couldn't type that with a straight face!

[BlueFlorida]

19. Common sense isn't it?

Some politicians want to help their constituents. Some others would rather become twitter celebrities.

[watoos]

31. Another AOC bashing thread, congratulations,

give me 240 AOC's in the House and you all can pick someone else, then let's get it on.

[brooklynite]

36. Just for our guidance, what criticisms are allowable that won't be described as "bashing"?

[Gothmog]

33. K&R

[Opel_Justwax]

34. Yes. The poor will never know that their rents would have skyrocketed when Amazon moved in.

[brooklynite]

35. You mean Twitter and Facebook AREN'T accurate barometers of political opinion?

[Mariana]

38. Too bad Bezos doesn't know that. nt.