Ocasio-Cortez was a vocal opponent of Amazon's opening a second headquarters in Queens, New York City. Amazon is coming to New York after all, and AOC - who helped scuttle a deal to bring the company to Queens - couldn't help but take a victory lap that quickly irked her critics. Ocasio-Cortez said her future constituents voiced 'outrage' when Amazon first announced that it would be splitting its new North American headquarters between New York and and Northern Virginia. The problem for business is that stories of huge corporate welfare gives the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez all the fodder she needs to demand government spoils for her voters.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) isn’t as vocal as she was earlier this year. The impeachment circus that has engulfed the Hill hasn’t really shined a spotlight on her. I mean she’s not on any of the committee overseeing this North Korean kangaroo court. Yet, she decided to jump back into the spotlight with this nonsensical thread about Amazon. I mean you cannot make this up. She’s doing a victory lap because Amazon decided to open up a smaller field office that will only create a fraction of the jobs initially projected when the e-commerce giant first pitched their plan to set up shop in New York City. Ocasio-Cortez, as you remember, took a victory lap when they pulled out (via WSJ):
Me waiting on the haters to apologize after we were proven right on Amazon and saved the public billions https://t.co/AC64pG0nZIpic.twitter.com/xzCepkX4AV
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 6, 2019While we’re here, let’s clear up some GOP disinfo:
- “It’s 1500 jobs vs 25,000”: The 25,000 jobs figure was a 10-20 year fantasy # from Amazon, not a promise or agreement. In exchange for that lack of commitment, they wanted billions of public $. Their Y1 jobs projection was 700.
- “It’s in Manhattan, not Queens”: If you live in NYC, you would know people commute to work. Amazon would not have paid taxes for many, many years and not contribute to fixing our crumbling subway system. So lots of added strain, no benefit.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 7, 2019- Also, and very importantly, these jobs are for FREE. The public was going to pay $3 billion in public subsidies & millions in hard cash building Amazon’s campus for them- NYC residents were subsidizing Amazon tons per job. Now they‘re bringing work without the welfare.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 7, 2019Amazon. com Inc. and Facebook Inc. are loading up on new office space in New York City, helping fuel an expansion of tech companies that is remaking a swath of Manhattan less than a year after Amazon dropped plans to build its second headquarters in the city.
The giant online retailer said it has signed a new lease for 335,000 square feet on Manhattan’s west side in the new Hudson Yards neighborhood, where it will have more than 1,500 employees. The new lease represents Amazon’s largest expansion in New York since the company stunned the city by abandoning plans to locate its second headquarters in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City.
[…]
For Amazon, the new lease and accompanying jobs come in a manner that couldn’t be more different from its earlier dealings in New York. Amazon said it is taking the space—in a property being redeveloped at 410 Tenth Avenue—without any special tax credits or other inducements like those it had been offered previously. And this time, the company ran no cross-country tournament, in which some cities felt they were being played against each other in the contest last year for what Amazon termed its “HQ2” site and the jobs it would bring.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats, had courted Amazon—and the company’s pledge to create 25,000 new jobs—by offering up to $3 billion in financial incentives. Amazon canceled its plans for the project after facing a backlash from some politicians and activists over the package offered to the company.
After the Journal reported on Amazon’s new lease, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), a vocal critic of the HQ2 effort who represents neighborhoods near the proposed site, tweeted, “Won’t you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway - *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, helipad handouts for Jeff Bezos, & corporate giveaways.”
Basic math was invented by my political opponents in an effort to discredit me. https://t.co/zEDV6Trcbz
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) December 7, 2019wtf does Y1 have to do with it?
You cost NYC billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs
So you admit that the projected jobs was cut off and billions of projected revenue is gone?
Stop acting like you helped anything
The Hudson Yard office isn't even the same thing https://t.co/6svfIpH90E
You .... lecturing others about 'disinfo' by passing off disinfo. LOLOLOL. https://t.co/dPW7UH0xU2
— Sister Delecto Toldjah ?? (@sistertoldjah) December 7, 2019'Those jobs weren't gonna happen anyway' sure is a rebuttal. https://t.co/XTR6XJBRmn
— neontaster (@neontaster) December 7, 2019Lets clear up some @AOC disinfo:
Those billions in tax credits ONLY came to fruition if Amazon met the specific goals set forward by Gov Cuomo and NYC:https://t.co/KTvqgvb65Fhttps://t.co/7O5eaLrmVg
“GOP disinfo:” The Democratic Governor of your state said your anti-Amazon agitation cost New York “25,000 to 40,000 good paying jobs” and “nearly $30 billion in new revenue.” https://t.co/rJiyCx8Pd1https://t.co/PQQMtNB7lR
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) December 7, 2019Aoc Amazon Nyc
It's incredible how dumb your followers are and how they're praising you for this.
Amazon was initially offering 25,000 jobs in YOUR DISTRICT to now only offering 1,500 jobs OUTSIDE your district.
Meaning you caused 94% job loss in NYC.
You know there’s that saying that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Like any liberal Democrat, AOC tried to pass this off as if she were a job creator, along with some working-class hero defender or something. And if this is a model for Democratic job creation, then please—hide this from the public. Is 1,500 equal to or greater than…25,000? AOC still cost the city jobs. This move by Amazon isn’t even comparable. Oh, and she had a little fact check in her thread, saying that the 25,000-job figure was fantasy or something. Right, that’s the default position for any politician who is called out for peddling total idiocy. AOC once again proves she’s economically illiterate, just like the rest of her squad. Thanks to our friends at Twitchy for finding this gem.
Dems Mute NY Lawmaker's Mic After He Introduces Motion to Subpoena the Health CommissionerOh, and Republicans have been having fun at AOC's photo as well.
Me waiting for the Senate to confirm another judge
2 more circuit court judges next week ?????????? https://t.co/cejWd6WwHdpic.twitter.com/KuOK4lJm7k
Amazon pulls out of plan to build New York City headquarters
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is taking a victory lap after delivering the goods in her fight against Amazon.
The star freshman Democrat – along with other lawmakers – had strongly criticized the planned opening of Amazon’s second headquarters in New York.
So, after Jeff Bezos’ tech giant announced Thursday it was pulling the plug on its proposed Long Island City location, the Bronx native had something to celebrate.
“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,” she tweeted.
Democratic 2020 hopeful Elizabeth Warren also celebrated the decision, tweeting: '.@Amazon – one of the wealthiest companies on the planet – just walked away from billions in taxpayer bribes, all because some elected officials in New York aren't sucking up to them enough. How long will we allow giant corporations to hold our democracy hostage?'
Other New Yorkers were not so pleased.
'Absolutely disgraceful that @amazon is driven from New York by left wing progressive politicians. Terrible loss of jobs for New York workers and New York economy,' Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., tweeted.
It came after Amazon said in a statement that pushback from New York lawmakers was a key factor in the decision to cancel its plans.
'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 statement read.
'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.
Ocasio Cortez Amazon Tweet
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64642283/49c7f21275.0.jpeg "Riley")
“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 in Long Island City.”
The company added that it is 'disappointed to have reached this conclusion.'
The opposition against HQ2 has been mounting in recent months. In December, for example, Amazon execs were grilled and jeered at a New York City Council meeting over the deal.
Earlier this month, Ocasio-Cortez trashed the plan – which had promised to create 25,000 jobs and over $27.5 billion in tax revenue in 25 years – and called on 'everyday people' to 'effectively organize against creeping overreach of one of the world’s biggest corporations.'
The deal was greeted with much fanfare, though, when it was announced last year and was lauded as a major economic boost by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and others.
Amazon said it would proceed as planned with the second part of its HQ2, which will be built in Northern Virginia, as well as its distribution center that it said it would open in Nashville. It will also continue to 'hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the U.S. and Canada.'
Aoc On Amazon Hq
The Associated Press contributed to this report.