Amazon pulls out of plans to build New York City HQ2 headquarters

She just helped stop 25,000 well-paying jobs from coming to New York
A Kathy Willens/AP Photo file photo

– News and commentary about Quincy from Quincy Quarry News. 

 

Amazon pulls out of plans to build New York City HQ2 headquarters.

 

Committed to make up for his pending divorce settlement
A meme

Amazon announced Thursday it was dropping its plans build its second headquarters in New York City, the company said in a statement:

 

“After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens.”

 

“For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term. While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, 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.”

 

70%, 57% – whatever
Image via dazeinfo.com

According to a December Quinnipiac University poll, 57 percent of New York City residents supported Amazon’s arrival in the region, compared to just 26 percent who oppose the deal.

 

Even so, Amazon faced fierce opposition over the tax breaks it had been offered by New York politicians, including now critical of Amazon New York City Mayor William de Blasio. 

 

Related coverage: AMAZON’S NEW YORK HQ2 CANCELLATION DRAWS FIERY RESPONSES FROM LAWMAKERS, TECH WORLD

 

The company added that it is “disappointed to have reached this conclusion.”

 

While not mentioned, Quincy Quarry’s financial affairs desk cannot help but wonder if Amazon co-founder and CEO Jeff Bezos’ recently exposéd affair and likely to be record-setting divorce settlement might be already be taking a toll on Amazon’s plans to continue to strive to all but monopolize e-commerce.

 

The decision comes after backlash from various New York area elected officials, notably rookie Member of the United States House of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who bemoaned the project.

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. https://t.co/nyvm5vtH9k

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 14, 2019

 

Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had previously touted the benefits of Amazon’s HQ2, which included a pledge from the tech giant to create 25,000 jobs, paying an average of $150,000 per year in exchange for a slew of city and state tax breaks and subsidies worth up to $3 billion.

 

Related coverage: OCASIO-CORTEZ CHEERS AS AMAZON REPORTEDLY RECONSIDERS NY HQ AFTER FIERCE OPPOSITION

 

Granted, Quincy Quarry is no fan of taxpayer-funded incentives provided to private companies, however, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and others are now on the hook to find 25,000 well-paying jobs to replace those now longer coming to the Big Apple via Amazon Prime.

 

In the words of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, “you break it, you own it.”

 

The opposition against Amazon’s HQ2 has been mounting in recent months.  For example, in December Amazon executives were grilled and jeered at a New York City Council meeting over the deal. 

 

So what, apparently, for the fact that all manner of New York governmental officials had previously helped to negotiate the deal.

 

Ocasio-Cortez has also slammed the company for having bias in its facial recognition technology. 

 

Apparently, rookie Representative Ocaiso-Cortez does not appreciate the fact that the real problem with Amazon’s facial recognition technology is primarily the result of a lack of sufficient sampling of faces, especially of those of different ethnic backgrounds, in what one can only reasonably view as a technology arguably still undergoing beta testing and thus needy of further refinement.

 

AOC hit with 3 outta 4 Pinocchios
A Washington Post fact-checker image

Then again, this is not the first time that Ms. Ocaiso-Cortez has been wrong about something.

 

In a prepared statement and arguable attempt to spin his way out of a public relations nightmare, New York City Mayor William de Blasio opted to give Amazon a Bronx cheer:

 

“You have to be tough to make it in New York City.  We gave Amazon the opportunity to be a good neighbor and do business in the greatest city in the world,” de Blasio said in the statement.  “Instead of working with the community, Amazon threw away that opportunity.  We have the best talent in the world and every day we are growing a stronger and fairer economy for everyone.  If Amazon can’t recognize what that’s worth, its competitors will.”

 

Unmentioned by Mayor De Blasio is – for but one example from among many – how New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority makes the MBTA almost look not so bad.

 

So far, it appears that New York Governor Cuomo has yet to offer up any comment on this breaking news, however.

 

And perhaps far more importantly, so far no comments have been offered up by metro New York City area concrete suppliers or local construction trades union management.

 

Delivering jobs to Virginia and/or Tennessee?
A Walmart image

Bankrate.com’s senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick called it a “stunning development,” adding, “for those who didn’t want Amazon to bring the promised 25,000 new jobs and added economic vitality to the area: be careful what you wish for.”

 

Amazon said it would proceed as planned with the second part of its HQ2, which will be built in Northern Virginia, as well as its distribution center that it said it would open in Nashville. It will also continue to “hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the U.S. and Canada.”

 

Related coverage: TENNESSEE ‘VERY INTERESTED’ IN AMAZON HQ2 AFTER NYC STRIFE

 

The Virginia deal was greeted with much fanfare when it was announced last year and was lauded as a major economic boost.

Source: Amazon pulls out of plan to build New York City headquarters

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