Amazon's HQ2 Probably Headed to Northern Virginia (Crystal City)

[brendasdeadbaby]

Problem is NY legitimately doesn’t need this money. If this was Detroit and people were stopping, that would be a cause for concern. But this won’t make to break NYC any particular way.

You driving now?? Cause ny needs money for mass transit ASAP. Weed legalization won’t get us all the funds. They must be waiting for an above train and station to collapse. Amazon wasn’t the way tho. I’m all the way good on the sure gentrification it would bring, heavier traffic, and giving billionaires Tax free handouts cause they promised jobs to a politicians who use it for re election/bragging rights

 

[ninjahood]

Y'all are happy with a $1 trillion company moving into your city, increase the cost of living exponentially, and paying 0 taxes

federal taxes =\= state & local taxes.

 

[Mr Dink]

federal taxes =\= state & local taxes.

Amazon pays neither.

 

[ninjahood]

Amazon pays neither.

EVERYONE in NY pays state/local taxes. da 3 billion tax" break" was da discount they were gonna earn from payin 27 billion to state coffers.

 

[diego]

Amazon pays neither.

You right. They haven’t. Shame on the system for allowing them the loopholes to evade taxes.
With or without Amazon coming to NY tho, they STILL not paying taxes.
Ultimately, people were worried about the wrong things cause the company has not been paying taxes for a while but that ain’t stopping a lot of ya from submitting your amazon orders.

The way people talking about it, ya act like the move to NY is what would’ve allowed them to not pay taxes.

Amazon needs NY????
Pffftttt, they don’t need us in the slightest.
People are fleeing the city left and right.
NY tax revenues are DOWN. Politicians are looking to charge congestion pricing for people to get into the city.
It’s clear we DO need the money. Long Island City stopped being affordable a while ago.

Once again people sound very mis-informed about this 3 billion tax break.
We aren’t taking 3 billion from public schools and giving it to Amazon.
This is essentially a coupon for setting up shop here.
And in return for that coupon, that’s 25k salaries the city would’ve been able to tax.

Maybe Amazon is not the answer, so what are we doing?
Weed still not legalized. Gambling isn’t legalized. Where are the additional funds coming from?
What progressive ideas do we have other than another mta fare hike or raising tolls?
Congestion pricing is beyond absurd.

I’m all for the progressive ideas. Medical benefits for all. Free education. Sign me up for all of it. Unlike a lot of you cats claiming to be on the left, Im willing to pay more in taxes to make these things a reality.

But we gotta keep a capitalistic mind. At the end of the day, money makes the world go round. The second we try to act like this is not the case we fighting a losing battle.

You can be a progressive democrat AND a capitalist. It is not one or the other.

 

[RustyShackleford]

You right. They haven’t. Shame on the system for allowing them the loopholes to evade taxes.
With or without Amazon coming to NY tho, they STILL not paying taxes.
Ultimately, people were worried about the wrong things cause the company has not been paying taxes for a while but that ain’t stopping a lot of ya from submitting your amazon orders.

The way people talking about it, ya act like the move to NY is what would’ve allowed them to not pay taxes.

Amazon needs NY????
Pffftttt, they don’t need us in the slightest.
People are fleeing the city left and right.
NY tax revenues are DOWN. Politicians are looking to charge congestion pricing for people to get into the city.
It’s clear we DO need the money. Long Island City stopped being affordable a while ago.

Once again people sound very mis-informed about this 3 billion tax break.
We aren’t taking 3 billion from public schools and giving it to Amazon.
This is essentially a coupon for setting up shop here.
And in return for that coupon, that’s 25k salaries the city would’ve been able to tax.

Maybe Amazon is not the answer, so what are we doing?
Weed still not legalized. Gambling isn’t legalized. Where are the additional funds coming from?
What progressive ideas do we have other than another mta fare hike or raising tolls?
Congestion pricing is beyond absurd.

I’m all for the progressive ideas. Medical benefits for all. Free education. Sign me up for all of it. Unlike a lot of you cats claiming to be on the left, Im willing to pay more in taxes to make these things a reality.

But we gotta keep a capitalistic mind. At the end of the day, money makes the world go round. The second we try to act like this is not the case we fighting a losing battle.

You can be a progressive democrat AND a capitalist. It is not one or the other.

You don't have to be a capitialist to support corporate welfare.

In fact, supporting the rent-seeking behavior of large corporations is very anti capitalist.

Also, congestion taxes and tolls are sound capitalist ideas because you are taxing the externality.

And of all business to appeal to capitalism to defend, Amazon is a bad choice because they don't give a **** about efficient markets

To be honest, you don't seem to have a good grasp of the economics of this situation.

 

[frshstunna]

So where y’all think they gon try to go next ? ...better not be ATL

 

[ninjahood]

Congestion pricing is beyond absurd

whoever OKs that is gettin thrown outta office like Will Smith mansion.

 

[Mr Dink]

Amazon moving into your city is the modern-day equivalent of Wal-Mart setting up shop in your small town.

 

[diego]

You don't have to be a capitialist to support corporate welfare.

In fact, supporting the rent seeking behavior of large corporations is very anti capitialist.

Also congestion taxes and tolls are sound capitialist ideas because you are taxing the externality.

To be honest, you don't seem to have a good grasp of the economics of this situation.

That’s ok. I’m the first to admit I can be more informed about this whole situation.
It’s the people on the other side of the argument that seem to know EVERYTHING.

You seem to be cool with raising tolls/mta and congestion pricing.
From what I remember you don’t reside in NYC. But I’m happy to hear that you are cool with these hikes that will in no way affect you.
Very white people of you.

 

[ninjahood]

Amazon moving into your city is the modern-day equivalent of Wal-Mart setting up shop in your small town.

umm no.

Amazon technically has already moved in your town via da internet..them planting down roots and paying into your local tax coffers and their employees spending money on your city would've been a boom to da town.

 

[RustyShackleford]

That’s ok. I’m the first to admit I can be more informed about this whole situation.
It’s the people on the other side of the argument that seem to know EVERYTHING.

You seem to be cool with raising tolls/mta and congestion pricing.
From what I remember you don’t reside in NYC. But I’m happy to hear that you are cool with these hikes that will in no way affect you.
Very white people of you.

Please spare me your insincere guilt trip. Seriously

I didn't say I support raising tolls in NYC or MTA rates or using congestion pricing, please point out where I did? I am pointing out that if you want to preach about capitalism to defend Amazon, it makes you a hypocrite if you denouncing taxing an externalities. So don't preach to people about they should be more capitalist (corporate welfare is not that anyway) while denouncing capitalist economic ideas you don't like.

And of course people on the either side don't know everything. But maybe they know more than you on an issue, so before you try to handwave them anyway, consider that.

 

[Mark Antony]

Actually Diego seems to routinely be the last to admit he could be more informed long after injecting his uninformed take. ie like you did here. Don't be disingenuous.

 

[Mr Dink]

umm no.

Amazon technically has already moved in your town via da internet..them planting down roots and paying into your local tax coffers and their employees spending money on your city would've been a boom to da town.

"Boom to da town." Yeah, let them move into your city, pay all these employees 120k+, thus driving up the already high cost of living. Let them move 500+ people A DAY into your city, driving up the congestion even more. Make it harder to drive on roads due to transplants' unfamiliarity with the roads. Real boom to da town.

 

[Mark Antony]

Lol a nice central spot like Washington Heights certainly wouldn't be a target of that boom.

 

[RustyShackleford]

The thing about these pro-corporate welfare people is that they never consider the unintended consequences of such a move.

They apply the same thinking a Ford factory moving to the middle of nowhere, to Amazon moving to a crowded city.

I would be more open to these types of corporate welfare if local politicians came out from the jump with a firm plan to tackle all the crowding, skyrocketing housing prices, and homelessness.

Like why should people support a move they will not benefit from.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Lol a nice central spot like Washington Heights certainly wouldn't be a target of that boom.

He doesn't care.

He has a nice little anti-capitalist policy protecting his housing cost.

He is cool with the free market ravaging others, because he does not have to deal with it.

 

[diego]

Please spare me your insincere guilt trip. Seriously

I didn't say I support raising tolls in NYC or MTA rates or using congestion pricing, please point out where I did? I am pointing out that if you want to preach about capitalism to defend Amazon, it makes you a hypocrite if you denouncing taxing an externalities. So don't preach to people about they should be more capitalist (corporate welfare is not that anyway) while denouncing capitalist economic ideas you don't like.

And of course people on the either side don't know everything. But maybe they know more than you on an issue, so before you try to handwave them anyway, consider that.

Your focus seems to be solely on the tax break (I assume that’s what you’re referring to when you say corporate welfare).

So help me understand. You could be condescending all you want but I’m straight up asking you now...show me the light.

Amazon not coming. Ok cool. What now?
Are we using that 3 billion to do something else? Teachers? Medical Services? MTA?
Which one of these sections will we now appropriate $3 billion to?
The answer is nothing.

This is the richest dude in the world. With what my uninformed self can only assume is one of the biggest companies in the world.
They don’t need NY man. NY is not magically in a better place because Amazon is cancelled their move here.

Do you know Long Island City? The truth is, anybody that is worried about being priced out of Long Island City because of Amazon...has ALREADY been priced out of LIC.

This is not about Amazon. Idc about Amazon. I’m actually proud to say I don’t use their services.
Amazon just happens to be the hand we been dealt.
Play the ******* hand!

 

[diego]

Lol a nice central spot like Washington Heights certainly wouldn't be a target of that boom.

You sound uninformed.

 

[Mark Antony]

You sound uninformed.

Inform me then.

 

[blastercombo]

The allure of amazon fell off hard for me since everything is taxed now and refunds take a week unlike before. I don’t need it anymore

 

[Brownstone]

I'm still waiting for someone to take me up on my offer Amazon doesn't move to NY anyway, just slowly.

 

[Brownstone]

Your focus seems to be solely on the tax break (I assume that’s what you’re referring to when you say corporate welfare).

So help me understand. You could be condescending all you want but I’m straight up asking you now...show me the light.

Amazon not coming. Ok cool. What now?
Are we using that 3 billion to do something else? Teachers? Medical Services? MTA?
Which one of these sections will we now appropriate $3 billion to?
The answer is nothing.

This is the richest dude in the world. With what my uninformed self can only assume is one of the biggest companies in the world.
They don’t need NY man. NY is not magically in a better place because Amazon is cancelled their move here.

Do you know Long Island City? The truth is, anybody that is worried about being priced out of Long Island City because of Amazon...has ALREADY been priced out of LIC.

This is not about Amazon. Idc about Amazon. I’m actually proud to say I don’t use their services.
Amazon just happens to be the hand we been dealt.
Play the ****ing hand!

Google is adding a planned 20k tech jobs in NY over the next several years. Apple is not far behind. Why can't those Tax Dollars be implemented towards all the goals you stated?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-plans-large-new-york-city-expansion-1541636579

The truth is there is no such thing as a "2nd" HQ...This was a ploy to have subsidized expansion paid through subsidies that the folks they were impeding on weren't going to stand for.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Your focus seems to be solely on the tax break (I assume that’s what you’re referring to when you say corporate welfare).

So help me understand. You could be condescending all you want but I’m straight up asking you now...show me the light.

Amazon not coming. Ok cool. What now?
Are we using that 3 billion to do something else? Teachers? Medical Services? MTA?
Which one of these sections will we now appropriate $3 billion to?
The answer is nothing.

This is the richest dude in the world. With what my uninformed self can only assume is one of the biggest companies in the world.
They don’t need NY man. NY is not magically in a better place because Amazon is cancelled their move here.

Do you know Long Island City? The truth is, anybody that is worried about being priced out of Long Island City because of Amazon...has ALREADY been priced out of LIC.

This is not about Amazon. Idc about Amazon. I’m actually proud to say I don’t use their services.
Amazon just happens to be the hand we been dealt.
Play the ****ing hand!

-You seems to misunderstand how the business tax cut and incentive game works. You are thinking of the tax break as like a one time payment to Amazon to reap all the benefits, but it doesn't work like that. You have to consider the distortionary effects they have on revenue and spending in the long run, and the bad unintended consequences of having Amazon in your city. It is a cost-benefit analysis. Do the benefits out out weigh the cost.

-The real benefits to having Amazon in your city is the extra tax revenue. From taxing the organization itself, taxing their employees, and taxing the increased value of the land. The cost is improving the infrastructure, medical services, schools, etc. to support the extra people. Also it is deal with the negatives like the housing crisis, and congestion, it will cause. If you then break Amazon the off with tax breaks, if lowers the amount of benefits you get from the deal.

So maybe you would collect more in tax revenue, but overall you have less money to spend on improving the lives on the citizens already living there because a) you have to spend to just support to new Amazon employees b) the current residents get priced out the area or become homeless. They reap no benefits and in some cases their lives have been made worst.

So in the end you don't get all these benefits. You get a situation where there is more inequality in your city and the extra revenue is being used to support you taking on Amazon in the first place.

-Your argument that things are already bad in Long Island City so it doesn't really matter is not an argument I can respect. It can get worst, you can turn a housing affordability problem into a housing and homelessness crisis. If someone can barely afford rent in the area now, why would they welcome a entity that will make their rent jump 30-80%? You wanted guilt trip me about not living in NYC. But you don't live in Long Island City, now do you? So you're cool with more people being priced out of the area in the name of gentrification, but are giving little to no thought as to what comes next for these people. It is like saying someone has pre-diabetes so what is the point of them not injecting table sugar into their veins. Things are already bad, so why make them worst. This is the foundation of your argument, yet you somehow can't see why people would have a problem with it.

-Lastly Amazon could have scouted locations, find the best one for them, and then announce the headquarter without seeking incentives. You are right they don't need NY, they also don't need tax breaks and incentives to pick a new location. Without incentives they would probably just pick the locations that work best for their business. Like one with an international airport close by, and a university system to feed them students. It is no surprise the locations the did pick and were considering had those things already.

Instead they made a big public deal of it, activist and some local officials know what happens in other cities so they raised their concerns. Amazon could have followed through with their plans, but instead they throw a hissy fit. They not only want what is best for their business, they want cities to pay them for the supposed privileged of them being there, and to shut up any legit concerns people have about their coming.

This whole PR stunt with calling out AOC is just a warning to other locations not to do the same thing. You are demanding local officials play the hand they are dealt, so why can't Amazon? Why can't they accept people care about the homelessness, and congestion. Why can't they accept that this form of corporate welfare is something folk don't want to support. If this was some struggling town in the middle on no where, I would be more sympathetic to Amazon's position, but it is not doing that. They want to reap the benefits of the location, get subsidized for doing so, and never be made to face the negative effects of their move.

**** em

 

[ninjahood]

"Boom to da town." Yeah, let them move into your city

thats how i KNOW u dunno what ur talking about....da majority of da work force already resides in NYC hence why Amazon picked Long Island City, and last time i checked, economic growth isn't a bad thing.