Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Cheers Amazon's Abandoning New York HQ2 Plan, Defeat of 'the Power of the Richest Man in the World'
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrated Amazon's abandoning its plans to build a new headquarters in New York City, hailing it as a victory.
Amazon chose Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, from its shortlist of potential sites for what it dubbed "HQ2" after City Hall offered the multibillion dollar company $1.52 billion in tax breaks over a decade if it created 25,000 jobs for New Yorkers. The state and city offered up to $3 billion in subsidies.
Critics were angered by the offer of massive subsidies for the digital retaill giant, by the likely sharp rise in rents once Amazon moved in, by the pressures the headquarters would put on the city's already struggling infrastructure, and by the company's record on workers' rights, to name just a few of the concerns.
The New York State Senate was also opposed to the deal. The New York Post reported that senators' desire to scrap and renegotiate the subsidy package for Amazon was what finally drove the digital behemoth to walk away from its HQ2 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," Ocasio-Cortez, whose district lies adjacent to HQ2 and would have felt its effects, tweeted.
Amazon is owned by Jeff Bezos who, according to Forbes, has a net worth of $134.1 billion, making him the richest man on the planet. He founded the company in 1994, in a garage, and is still its CEO.
"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," the company said in a statement announcing its decision.
"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."
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized Amazon for shelving HQ2.
"You have to be tough to make it in New York City," de Blasio said in a statement.
"We gave Amazon the opportunity to be a good neighbor and do business in the greatest city in the world. 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."
