https://read.bi/2TPaK57
Here's how politicians and tech execs are reacting to the surprise news of Amazon pulling HQ2 from New York City https://read.bi/2BxGBQA AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
Amazon's plans to put HQ2 in New York City have been called off, the final culmination of months of criticism directed at the e-commerce giant after it first announced in November that it would open a new headquarters there. In a blog post Thursday, Amazon said it came to the decision to cancel its plans for New York City "after much deliberation," and seemingly took aim at politicians who vocally opposed HQ2. "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," the blog post says. "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." Amazon announced in November it had chosen to split its much-coveted second headquarters between two sites in New York and Arlington, Virginia. The news was met with immediate opposition from several sides. Local residents were angry HQ2 would cause traffic to increase, rent prices in the surrounding area to skyrocket, and gentrification of the neighborhood to speed up. Players in the tech industry slammed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for a lack of transparency in its long 14-month long HQ2 selection process. Developer David Heinemeier Hansson even went as far as to accuse Amazon of extracting "blatant loot" from cities vying for HQ2, and called the company's actions "utterly becoming." Local politicians, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were outraged at the terms of the deal struck between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Amazon, which promised the company billions of dollars in tax breaks as incentive for coming to New York City. New York City Council members were upset they were kept out of the loop regarding discussions for Amazon to come to their city. But now that plans for HQ2 have been scrapped, many of HQ2's biggest opponents are celebrating, while proponents are lashing out at Amazon. Here are some of the reactions coming from politicians and leaders in tech in the wake of Amazon's HQ2 reversal: New York City Mayor Bill de BlasioDrew Angerer/Getty ImagesIn a statement, de Blasio said: "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. 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." Read more: Mayor Bill de Blasio slams Amazon for scrapping its HQ2 project in New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezJonathan Ernst/REUTERSOn Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez wrote: "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." Asked by a CBS News reporter about her thoughts, Ocasio-Cortez said, "I think it's incredible! It shows that everyday Americans still have the power to organize ... and they can have more to say in this country than the richest man in the world."
City Council Speaker Corey JohnsonGettyIn a statement posted to Twitter: "I look forward to working with companies that understand that if you're willing to engage with New Yorkers and work though challenging issues New York City is the world's best place to do business. I hope this is the start of a conversation about vulture capitalism and where our tax dollars are best spent. I know I'd choose mass transit over helipads any day." See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://read.bi/1IpULic February 14, 2019 at 02:09PM
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
October 2020
|