I hesitate to argue w/ @jimgeraghty whose moniker “Geraghty the Indispensable” has been earned over years of guest spots and the occasional hosting of my radio show. (1) nationalreview.com/the-morning-jo…
Plus @jimgergahty (a) is a @Jets fan and it’s Thanksgiving almost and (b) has agreed to produce a list of the nicknames @realDonaldTrump will bestow on the 30 Ds seeking to end his tenure at 1600. (“Nanny” and a few others are known but Jim is good at this sort of work). But..(2)
All of those cities bid for @Amazon. All of the finalists negotiated. The city and state fathers were ebullient in National Landing and whatever Long Island City is being renamed. It’s like the classic free market critique of publicly financed stadium: Yeah, you are right.
But the fans/voters want them (mostly). Wisdom of crowds (of government officials but even the least talented government officials don’t go looking for black eyes.) Voters/citizens wanted @Amazon because HQ2 communicates unquantifiable things about opportunity and mobility. (3)
In CA @JerryBrownGov though the train-to-nowhere would do that but it’s been mocked and mocked and mocked and will stand like some Golden State Stonehenge down the eras, but @Amazon HQ2, well most folks I know in NO Va are pleased. “Yeah. Cool. Going to be interesting” pleased.
So perhaps the wisdom of crowds of government officials might this once be right. Incubators of innovation and tech breakthroughs are good things to have around. It’s certainly not a white elelphant charging out of the gate. Like a USC QB.
