The Nation Courts Amazon for HQ2

[MontuckyFried]

I don't get it

cities and states bend over backwards to give mega corporations endless tax breaks so they can bring "jobs" to their city, this is the biggest bullshit out there, Dillon CO, small town usa, has been doing it with REI and now christy sports while the small business is nothing more than lunch meat, really a tax break for REI? what the fuck was that all about? REI doesn't make any money so they need a hand

Amazon and the rest of these big companies have huge promises but usually fail to deliver on half the numbers they throw out there

Half the state of Colorado (mostly investors, real estate developers, and poticians) are wetting their panties about the idea of amazon comming while the rest of the population wants nothing to do with them, why can't we have amazon pay an impact fee instead of giving them tax breaks, meanwhile the average joe will be picking up the tax burden for roads and schools, while amazon can increase profits

it's total bullshit

Agreed. It's total BS that the one of the most profitable companies on the planet needs tax breaks. And like you said, in the meanwhile it's the small businesses that have to foot the bill in those towns. Something seems really wrong with that picture.

[Timberridge]

Not sure why your anger is directed at companies like Amazon. It's governments that are giving the tax breaks. Blame the politicians you collectively voted for.

[PNWbrit]

Not sure why your anger is directed at companies like Amazon. It's governments that are giving the tax breaks. Blame the politicians you collectively voted for.

^ this.

Now they've wrecked it here.

When I moved here in '98 that's what everyone was saying about Microsoft.

[From_the_NEK]

Boston = very expensive and enough property would be hard and very expensive to come by. But is setting up shop just across the border in NH a possibility? Not that I want 50,000+ more people clogging up I-93 between me and Boston the next time I want to go there.

[::: :::]

Detroit is the answer
Have Amazon fix the pipes on their way in, in exchange for some corporate tax savings down the road...like 10yrs after the pipes are done

[FLS]

Detroit is the answer
Have Amazon fix the pipes on their way in, in exchange for some corporate tax savings down the road...like 10yrs after the pipes are done

I like it.

[AK47bp]

Companies that exist in the Amazon feeding grounds competing for the same workforce will likely have to increase wages as well. My company has raised the starting wage a few times in the last couple years for our IT and call center departments.

[MontuckyFried]

Detroit is the answer
Have Amazon fix the pipes on their way in, in exchange for some corporate tax savings down the road...like 10yrs after the pipes are done

That would be awesome. If any town needs a shot in the arm, it's Detroit. Amazon could get the land so dirt cheap that they shouldn't even NEED extra government based incentives. Doing community improvements would go a long way too.

Then again, Amazon (or any other major tech company) coming to town is a scary proposition for the locals no matter where they go since they are kind of notorious for utterly destroying affordable costs of living wherever they may be.

[Dantheman]

Not sure why your anger is directed at companies like Amazon. It's governments that are giving the tax breaks. Blame the politicians you collectively voted for.

Well, no one forced Amazon to release their "Let's see who wants to win the race to the bottom" RFP. There's plenty of blame to go around from all parties involved. This shit goes on every day on a smaller scale. Tactics on the corporate side often border on extortion, such as threatening to build a store a few miles out of town on unincorporated land if their demands for "incentives" aren't met.

[BmillsSkier]

That would be awesome. If any town needs a shot in the arm, it's Detroit. Amazon could get the land so dirt cheap that they shouldn't even NEED extra government based incentives. Doing community improvements would go a long way too.

Then again, Amazon (or any other major tech company) coming to town is a scary proposition for the locals no matter where they go since they are kind of notorious for utterly destroying affordable costs of living wherever they may be.

If they pick Detroit, they need to use the Michigan Central Station building as their centerpiece.

[Mazderati]

^ Awesome building.

[Timberridge]

Well, no one forced Amazon to release their "Let's see who wants to win the race to the bottom" RFP. There's plenty of blame to go around from all parties involved. This shit goes on every day on a smaller scale. Tactics on the corporate side often border on extortion, such as threatening to build a store a few miles out of town on unincorporated land if their demands for "incentives" aren't met.

Let them then. Extortion doesn't work if you refuse to be extorted. Does anyone prevent you from building your house a few miles from town?

[hatchgreenchile]

It's no different than what the sports teams are doing, threatening to move the team unless they open the public coffers to build a new facility.

[Timberridge]

It's no different than what the sports teams are doing, threatening to move the team unless they open the public coffers to build a new facility.

I didn't work in San Diego and the Chargers now realize they made a mistake. Good on SD. It's not the taxpayers problem now.

[Buster Highmen]

Vote 2 ways: with your $ and your ballot.

No argument that avoiding Amazon is hard, but that's the right place for corporate ire.

[BmillsSkier]

It's no different than what the sports teams are doing, threatening to move the team unless they open the public coffers to build a new facility.

Mike Brown and the Bengals comes to mind. And the article I read today about the MLS’ Crew is particularly disgusting (even though I don’t really follow MLS)

[hatchgreenchile]

I didn't work in San Diego. The Chargers now realize they made a mistake.

SD never approved the use of funds for the stadium. I can't blame them.
They were willing to give them the property for nothing. That wasn't enough.
It's worked out very well so far

[alias_rice]

Just ask the good citizens of Miami what they think of publicly funded stadiums. The marlins basically raped them. I also remember reading something about how St. Louis is still paying off their now vacant stadium stadium.

We need more cities like SD to tell these billionaires to fuck off. Salt Lake county recently told Facebook to fuck off after their demands got out of hand.

[PNWbrit]

publicly funded stadiums.... billionaires

Bread and circuses...

[Buster Highmen]

Similarly for the Seahawks and the Mariners.
When put to a ballot, it was voted down twice, so the lobbyists went to Olympia and lo and behold the citizens of WA got to pay for stadiums.

Fine, as long as they build me a ski area.

(I don't spectate at sports, but I do expectorate at spectate sports)

[AK47bp]

http://komonews.com/news/local/seatt...q2-host-cities

[Viva]

Just ask the good citizens of Miami what they think of publicly funded stadiums. The marlins basically raped them.

I'm checking the City's website for a "#Me too".

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[The AD]

Detroit is the answer
Have Amazon fix the pipes on their way in, in exchange for some corporate tax savings down the road...like 10yrs after the pipes are done

The water pipes you mean? That's Flint, not Detroit.

[Timberridge]

Rather than spending our money on weaponry, we should let Russia and China host all the Olympics they want.

[Vt-Freeheel]

The sad thing is Bezos could fund this new headquarters all by himself and sell/lease it back to the company. A move like this would wow investors and he could make back the principal in increased stock value.