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Having a really hard time taking the claims that AMZN's HQ2.a/b was critically important to a city with a million 7 figure net worth residents and a 3.9% unemployment rate seriously.
I think what's useful about the whole situation is exposition and earnest discussion around the combination of 1) economic development 2) gentrification 3) corporate welfare and how the three relate to eachother.
There is a faction that claims the whole situation is a massive loss for NYC because any large employer swiping left is a tragedy. I think, frankly, that is nuts.
At the same time, the combination of polling differences and the role of specific state/local officials in #TheDiscourse probably deserves some critical examination. Luckily, if they messed up, they can be voted out!
I don't know whether NY made the right choice in not providing large incentives to one of the largest companies in the world to add jobs in Queens. But taking the view that the city collectively has no agency over that decision and *must* or *must not* do it is lame punditry.
Anyhow, you won't find me telling New Yorkers what the best path for their city is, I don't live there any more! But I do hope this decision doesn't fall into lame polarized bomb-throwing as it appears to be doing.
I should have added this earlier but specific carve-outs for companies like Amazon harken to what I was inveighing against here: georgepearkes.tumblr.com/post/177173856…
