SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
People opposed to Amazon's plan to locate a headquarters in New York City are seen outside a store in 2018. (Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
'We Were Proven Right,' Says AOC After Amazon Expands in New York Without Taking Billions in Public Cash
"Maybe the Trump admininistration should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families."
Dec 06, 2019
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested the Trump administration "focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families" after news broke Friday that Amazon was expanding its presence in New York City without the state giving the company billions in tax incentives.
\u201cWon\u2019t 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.\n\nMaybe the Trump admin should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575672429
The decision by the online giant to lease 335,000 square feet of office space in Manhattan and employee 1,500 employees in the consumer and advertising departments was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The announcement came roughly 10 months after Amazon announced it was ditching its widely condemned plan to locate a second headquarters site in Long Island City, Queens--a plan for which New York state would have given the online giant nearly $3 billion in tax incentives.
Ocasio-Cortez was among that plan's most vocal critics, asking at the time, "Why should corporations that contribute nothing to the pot be in a position to take billions from the public?"
In a Twitter thread Saturday morning, the New York Democrat said that Amazon would now be "bringing work without the welfare." Ocasio-Cortez also countered the Republican talking point that the city was losing out on thousands of jobs.
\u201cWhile we\u2019re here, let\u2019s clear up some GOP disinfo:\n- \u201cIt\u2019s 1500 jobs vs 25,000\u201d: 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.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575674710
\u201c- 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\u2019s campus for them- NYC residents were subsidizing Amazon tons per job. Now they\u2018re bringing work without the welfare.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575674710
New York state Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris--who was also among the critics of Amazon's so-called HQ2 plan for the city--weighed in on the news as well Friday.
"Amazon is coming to New York, just as they always planned. Fortunately, we dodged a $3 billion bullet by not agreeing to their subsidy shakedown earlier this year," Gianaris said in a statement. "Now, we must enact reforms to our economic development programs to ensure no company can seek to take advantage of the public again."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested the Trump administration "focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families" after news broke Friday that Amazon was expanding its presence in New York City without the state giving the company billions in tax incentives.
\u201cWon\u2019t 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.\n\nMaybe the Trump admin should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575672429
The decision by the online giant to lease 335,000 square feet of office space in Manhattan and employee 1,500 employees in the consumer and advertising departments was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The announcement came roughly 10 months after Amazon announced it was ditching its widely condemned plan to locate a second headquarters site in Long Island City, Queens--a plan for which New York state would have given the online giant nearly $3 billion in tax incentives.
Ocasio-Cortez was among that plan's most vocal critics, asking at the time, "Why should corporations that contribute nothing to the pot be in a position to take billions from the public?"
In a Twitter thread Saturday morning, the New York Democrat said that Amazon would now be "bringing work without the welfare." Ocasio-Cortez also countered the Republican talking point that the city was losing out on thousands of jobs.
\u201cWhile we\u2019re here, let\u2019s clear up some GOP disinfo:\n- \u201cIt\u2019s 1500 jobs vs 25,000\u201d: 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.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575674710
\u201c- 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\u2019s campus for them- NYC residents were subsidizing Amazon tons per job. Now they\u2018re bringing work without the welfare.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575674710
New York state Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris--who was also among the critics of Amazon's so-called HQ2 plan for the city--weighed in on the news as well Friday.
"Amazon is coming to New York, just as they always planned. Fortunately, we dodged a $3 billion bullet by not agreeing to their subsidy shakedown earlier this year," Gianaris said in a statement. "Now, we must enact reforms to our economic development programs to ensure no company can seek to take advantage of the public again."
From Your Site Articles
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested the Trump administration "focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families" after news broke Friday that Amazon was expanding its presence in New York City without the state giving the company billions in tax incentives.
\u201cWon\u2019t 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.\n\nMaybe the Trump admin should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575672429
The decision by the online giant to lease 335,000 square feet of office space in Manhattan and employee 1,500 employees in the consumer and advertising departments was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The announcement came roughly 10 months after Amazon announced it was ditching its widely condemned plan to locate a second headquarters site in Long Island City, Queens--a plan for which New York state would have given the online giant nearly $3 billion in tax incentives.
Ocasio-Cortez was among that plan's most vocal critics, asking at the time, "Why should corporations that contribute nothing to the pot be in a position to take billions from the public?"
In a Twitter thread Saturday morning, the New York Democrat said that Amazon would now be "bringing work without the welfare." Ocasio-Cortez also countered the Republican talking point that the city was losing out on thousands of jobs.
\u201cWhile we\u2019re here, let\u2019s clear up some GOP disinfo:\n- \u201cIt\u2019s 1500 jobs vs 25,000\u201d: 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.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575674710
\u201c- 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\u2019s campus for them- NYC residents were subsidizing Amazon tons per job. Now they\u2018re bringing work without the welfare.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575674710
New York state Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris--who was also among the critics of Amazon's so-called HQ2 plan for the city--weighed in on the news as well Friday.
"Amazon is coming to New York, just as they always planned. Fortunately, we dodged a $3 billion bullet by not agreeing to their subsidy shakedown earlier this year," Gianaris said in a statement. "Now, we must enact reforms to our economic development programs to ensure no company can seek to take advantage of the public again."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.