Ocasio-Cortez Celebrates "Defeat" Of World's Richest Man's "Worker
Exploitation" As Amazon Abandons NY

Thu, 02/14/2019 - 23:49

Update 4: Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein took some time off
from his retirement bliss to offer his two cents on Thursday's Amazon
news, blasting progressive dems like AOC for being "anti-progress" and
also "anti-democratic".

After killing Amazon's NYC HQ, not sure some progressive democrats
deserve either title. This move was both anti-progress (negative for
development and tech jobs) and anti-democratic (polls show 70% of NYers
were in favor). Victory lap for them, not for NYC. #AmazonHQ2
— Lloyd Blankfein (@lloydblankfein) February 14, 2019

Their cheering at Amazon's pull-out is a "victory lap for them" and
their narrow political interests, not for the people of New York.

* * *

Update 3: After more than two hours of radio silence, Gov. Andrew Cuomo,
who swooped in to take credit for the deal after it was announced late
last year, has issued a statement on Amazon's decision...and as one
might have expected, he didn't hesitate to take a few shots at the
Democrats on his left flank whom Amazon has blamed for sabotaging the deal.

Offering a counter-narrative to AOC, Cuomo blamed Democrats in the state
senate for sabotaging a deal that "poll after poll" showed was
"overwhelmingly supported" by New Yorkers. These lawmakers "put their
own narrow political interests above their community" and lost what
would have been a great economic boon "not just for New York City, but
for the entire region." They also squandered an opportunity to
"diversify our economy away from real estate and Wall Street."

"Amazon chose to come to New York because we are the capital of the
world and the best place to do business. We competed in and won the most
hotly contested national economic development competition in the United
States, resulting in at least 25,000-40,000 good paying jobs for our
state and nearly $30 billion dollars in new revenue to fund transit
improvements, new housing, schools and countless other quality of life
improvements. Bringing Amazon to New York diversified our economy away
from real estate and Wall Street, further cementing our status as an
emerging center for tech and was an extraordinary economic win not just
for Queens and New York City, but for the entire region, from Long
Island to Albany's nanotech center."

"However, a small group politicians put their own narrow political
interests above their community - which poll after poll showed
overwhelmingly supported bringing Amazon to Long Island City - the
state's economic future and the best interests of the people of this
state. The New York State Senate has done tremendous damage. They should
be held accountable for this lost economic opportunity."

"The fundamentals of New York's business climate and community that
attracted amazon to be here - our talent pool, world-class education
system, commitment to diversity and progressivism - remain and we won't
be deterred as we continue to attract world class business to
communities across New York State."

Over the past four years, one of the dominant scandals in New York State
politics has been Cuomo's feud with De Blasio. But now that the two men
have joined forces on Amazon, only to see their work wasted by insurgent
"Democratic socialists" and other local progressives, will Cuomo shift
the focus of his political vindictiveness that he's famous for on AOC
and sympathizers in the state senate?

* * *

Update 2: Finally, the woman who led the charge against Amazon and its
move to Queens has chimed in to declare Amazon's decision a triumph for
all New Yorkers and every committed comrade engaged in the eternal class
struggle against our corporate overlords.

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

She added that if New York had $3 billion to give away to Amazon as a
part of this deal, it should be able to find the money to pay teachers
and fix the subway.

But while AOC's grand plan to take the Amazon development money and
spend it on the subway is about as fantastical as Trump's claim that
Mexico is going to pay for the wall (because there won't be any tax
revenue, there won't be any money - maybe somebody should explain that
to her), at some point, her constituents will probably figure out that
they've lost a lot and gained...nothing.

Ocasio-Cortez just cost NYC 25,000 plus jobs and likely billions of
dollars in economic development and ancillary small business revenue

Great start for her
— Quoth the Raven (@QTRResearch) February 14, 2019

Let the irony sink it: AOC wants to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund
her utopian socialist agenda, but is also against wealthy people
generating taxable income.

Once her constituents figure it out, they might realize that they would
have been better off if AOC had stayed tending bar.


https://www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/i...15.55%20PM.png
MABA - Make Alexandria A Bartender Again

* * *

Update: Comments on Amazon's decision to pull out of New York are
beginning to pour in. The first company to comment was Plaxall, a
plastics company that owns the site that Amazon had targeted for
developments.

Plaxall Inc., the plastics company that owns the private
development sites in Long Island City that Amazon.com Inc. had targeted
for its new campus, is “extremely disappointed” with the technology
company’s decision to pull out of New York.

"We’re extremely disappointed by this decision" Managing Directors
Paula Kirby, Tony Pfohl and Matthew Quigley said in an emailed
statement. "Since our grandfather opened Plaxall’s doors on the
waterfront seven decades ago, our family has believed in the
overwhelming promise of Anable Basin and Long Island City as centers of
productivity and innovation. We continue to believe that today."

Meanwhile, Queens State Senator Michael Giannaris, the lawmaker who led
the movement to defeat the Amazon deal, accused Amazon of acting like a
"petulant child."

State Sen. Michael Gianaris, a vocal critic who was chosen for a
state board with the power to veto the deal, said the decision revealed
Amazon’s unwillingness to work with the Queens community it had wanted
to join.

"Like a petulant child, Amazon insists on getting its way or takes
its ball and leaves" said Mr. Gianaris, a Democrat, whose district
includes Long Island City. "The only thing that happened here is that a
community that was going to be profoundly affected by their presence
started asking questions."

And finally, Mayor de Blasio has chimed in with his response,
effectively accusing Amazon of spitting in New York's face after the
city gave the company "the opportunity to be a good neighbor." He added
that if Amazon can't appreciate what New York City is worth, "its
competitors will."

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. https://t.co/VLU17ULrUo
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) February 14, 2019

* * *

As it turns out, those reports about Amazon reconsidering its plan to
build one of its "HQ2s" in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City
weren't just trial balloons intended as a warning to New York Gov.
Andrew Cuomo to get his people in line.

https://www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/i...bezostease.png
Bezos

Because in a Thursday announcement that will undoubtedly be heralded as
a major victory by "Democratic Socialists" like Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, the e-commerce giant announced that it would scrap its
plans to move to New York City, much to the chagrin of Cuomo and de
Blasio, who signed off on a $3 billion package of "performance based"
state, city and public-private incentives offered to Amazon.

Amazon shares have rallied in the aftermath of the announcement.

https://www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/i...amznchart2.jpg
AMZN

But the ramifications for New York State politics will be far more profound.

Amazon didn't mince words in its statement, placing the blame for its
decision to deprive the state of what Cuomo's office once described as
one of the biggest economic boons in recent decades squarely on the
shoulders of progressive New York lawmakers who objected to the deal.

Marking Amazon exit as the moment when @AOC's potent rhetoric first
translated into policy
— Harry Siegel (@harrysiegel) February 14, 2019

Specifically, lawmakers like AOC and confederates in the New York State
legislature opposed the massive tax incentive package offered to Amazon
(which came out to more than $40,000 in kickbacks for every job the
company had promised to create) and the potential for the new campus to
shift the gentrification process into overdrive (the main building would
have been situated just blocks away from the Queensbridge Housing
Project, America's largest public housing project.

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.We are disappointed to have reached this
conclusion — we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and
culture — and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we
have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community
leaders, small business owners, and residents. There are currently over
5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and we
plan to continue growing these teams.

We are deeply grateful to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and
their staffs, who so enthusiastically and graciously invited us to build
in New York City and supported us during the process. Governor Cuomo and
Mayor de Blasio have worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers to
encourage local investment and job creation, and we can’t speak
positively enough about all their efforts. The steadfast commitment and
dedication that these leaders have demonstrated to the communities they
represent inspired us from the very beginning and is one of the big
reasons our decision was so difficult.

We do not intend to re-open the HQ2 search at this time. We will
proceed as planned in Northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will
continue to hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs
in the U.S. and Canada.

Thank you again to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and the many
other community leaders and residents who welcomed our plans and
supported us along the way. We hope to have future chances to
collaborate as we continue to build our presence in New York over time.

The decision to pull out of NYC comes after New York State lawmakers
nominated one of the deal's fiercest opponents to a state board that
would grant him the power to unilaterally kill the state component of
the incentive package. NYC progressives and "Democratic socialists" like
AOC can claim a major victory over their corporate adversaries. Queens
real-estate brokers on the other hand are reacting with a mix of "shock,
anger and disbelief" as condo sales soared in the wake of the Amazon deal...

Every Queens real estate broker right now pic.twitter.com/FYKZSe5WT2
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 14, 2019

....As anyone and everyone who could sought to get in on the real estate
buying frenzy, as speculators snapped up condos in the area.

Hello, is this "Nelly", the real estate broker...?
pic.twitter.com/LmMJ6mPmyS
— Barbarian Capital (@BarbarianCap) February 14, 2019

However, New Yorkers who opposed the Amazon deal will probably be
disappointed to find that driving away the e-commerce giant won't help
fix the subway.

ENJOY YOUR TRAIN RIDE ****ED FACES pic.twitter.com/MYx4AU9QQ6
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) February 14, 2019

The prospect of luring Amazon to NYC was an all-consuming project for
the Democrats who run the state. Cuomo and de Blasio set aside their
fierce rivalry to work together to court Amazon, we wonder who will be
the first to point the finger at their rival as what we imagine will
become one of the most epic blame games in the history of New York politics.

Because it looks like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has taken a break from
snapping dick pics to send Cuomo and de Blasio a giant middle finger.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-...ps-plan-ny-hq2