Online retailer just wants to be loved. And by loved, it means given lots of subsidies no questions asked
Amazon has ditched its plans to open a headquarters in New York City after growing opposition to its plans by local officials and unions.
“After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens,” the company said in a blog post on Thursday.
“For Amazon, 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.”
That is a reference to the fact that the building plans have faced fierce criticism from local officials, unions and the area’s Congressional representative and unions. That opposition came in large part because of huge incentives offered to the online retail giant that were only made public after Amazon announced its decision.
That decision, after a nationwide search that was heavily criticized for being more of a fishing expedition by the corporation for tax breaks and other incentives, was announced in November. But rather than the deal gaining approval, in recent weeks opposition has grown.
Earlier this month, the state Senate put an outspoken Amazon critic on a board with veto power over the deal, and Amazon reps were grilled by city councilors at a public meeting that also featured anti-Amazon activists.
Last week Amazon executives tested the waters by speaking anonymously to The Washington Post about ditching its entire plan. But political support failed to arrive and the idea of Amazon ditching its plans was even celebrated by the district congresswoman who complained about “creeping overreach of one of the world’s biggest corporations” – something that was seemingly the final straw.
Despite the high-profile protests, Amazon claimed in its post that “while polls show that 70 per cent 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 in Long Island City.
