>>> BUCKLE UP. IT’S TIME FOR MONEY POWER
POLITICS.
POLITICS. AMAZON CALLED IT QUITS TO
HEADQUARTER
HEADQUARTER HEADQUARTERS, AN OPPORTUNITY TO
FEEL A REAL BOON IN THIS CITY,
IN THIS CITY WHERE WE
DESPERATELY NEED IT, AT LEAST IN
A TECH BASE.
THE DEAL WAS CALLED OFF FOR THE
LACK OF SUPPORT FROM LOCAL
POLITICIANS, MANY BLAMING
CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA
CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ.
OCASIO-CORTEZ. HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY AFTER
HEARING NEWS OF THE
CANCELLATION.
CANCELLATION. >> I THINK IT’S INCREDIBLE.
I MEAN IT SHOWS THAT EVERYDAY
AMERICANS STILL HAVE THE POWER
TO ORGANIZE AND FIGHT FOR THEIR
COMMUNITIES AND THEY CAN HAVE
MORE SAY IN THIS COUNTRY THAN
THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD.
>> NEW YORK’S GOVERNOR ANDREY
CUOMO SAID A SMALL GROUP OF
POLITICIANS PUT THEIR EVEN
NARROW INTERESTS ABOVE THEIR
COMMUNITY WHICH POLL AFTER POLL
SHOWED OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED
BRINGING AMAZON TO NEW YORK
CITY.
CITY. THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE HAS
DONE TREMENDOUS DAMAGE.
THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
FOR THIS LOST ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY.
OPPORTUNITY. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START
WITH THIS.
WITH THIS. LET’S START WITH WHAT AMAZON HAD
TO SAY.
TO SAY. THEY SAID IN PART IN THEIR
STATEMENT, A NUMBER OF STATE AND
LOCAL POLITICIANS HAVE MADE IT
CLEAR THEY OPPOSE OUR PRESENCE
AND WILL NOT WORK WITH US TO
BUILD THE TYPE OF RELATIONSHIPS
THAT ARE REQUIRED GO FORWARD
WITH THE PROJECT WE AND MANY
OTHERS ENVISIONED IN LONG ISLAND
CITY.
CITY. NOW, A LOT OF LOCAL POLITICIANS
MAY NOT HAVE WANTED HQ2, BUT 5
6% OF U.S. VOTERS DID.
I WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON
THIS BECAUSE I COMPLETELY
UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING
I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS COMPANY
PAYS NO FEDERAL TAXES.
WE ALREADY HAVE SUBWAYS
OVERCROWDED.
OVERCROWDED. ALL OF THOSE IS TRUE, BUT WE
KNOW SINCE 2008 WHEN MIME
BLOOMBERG WAS THE MAYOR, HE HAS
BEEN WORKING SAYING WE NEED TO
DIVERSIFY NEW YORK CITY.
WE CAN’T JUST BE REAL ESTATE.
WHAT DOES A MOVE LIKE THIS DO?
>> WELL, NEW YORK CITY IS
ALREADY DIVERSIFIED.
ALREADY DIVERSIFIED. THERE’S A HUGE AND GROWING TECH
PRESENCE HERE.
PRESENCE HERE. IT’S A BIT OF A MYTH.
HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK THIS
IS A BREAKDOWN ON EVERY SIDE.
I THINK THAT AMAZON, THE BEAUTY
PAGEANT THAT IT RAN, CONVINCING
CITIES TO GET ITS BUSINESS, I
DON’T THINK THEY WERE COMPLETELY
TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE TERMS AND
THE WAY THEY CONDUCTED THAT.
I THINK THEY’RE USED TO ROLLING
IN SALE IN A CERTAIN WAY AND
RUNNING
RUNNING RUNNING ROUGHSHOD OVER SOME OF
THE CITIES.
THE CITIES. I THINK THE PEOPLE IN NEW YORK
WHO NEGOTIATED THE.
>> IE, de BLASIO AND CUOMO?
>> THEY DID NOT CLEARLY
UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL THE
STAKEHOLDERS WANTED, AND A LOT
OF THIS BECAME, I THINK, MIRED
IN BUZZ WORDS RATHER THAN THE
REAL OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
YES, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR NEW YORK
TO GET 25,000 JOBS, BUT THEY
WERE ONLY GOING TO GET 700 JOBS
IN THE FIRST YEAR.
THAT WAS 25,000 JOBS OVER THE
NEXT DECADE.
NEXT DECADE. NEW YORK WASN’T GIVING AMAZON
BILLIONS IN CASH.
THEY WERE TAX INCENTIVES.
IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT IF NEW
YORK HAD A COMPANY THAT SET UP
SHOP, INVESTED $3 BILLION IN THE
CITY AND PROVIDED LOTS OF JOBS.
GUESS WHAT?
GUESS WHAT? GOOGLE HAS DONE THAT.
THEY’VE EXPANDED MANAGEMENT,
CREATED Wi-Fi, BUILDINGS,
HIGH-LEVEL JOBS, AND THEY VNL
DONE IT IN THE OVERLY NEEDY AND
PUBLICITY-DRIVEN WAY AMAZON DID
IT.
IT. >> IS THIS A BREAKDOWN IN
SALESMANSHIP ON THE PART OF de
BLASIO, CUOMO, AND AMAZON?
IF AMAZON ROLLED UP AND SAID,
WE’RE COMING TO NEW YORK AND
WE’RE SO SORRY THE SUBWAYS ARE
OVERCROWDED, GUESS HOW MUCH
MONEY WE’RE GOING TO GIVE TO
YOUR CITY.
YOUR CITY. >> IT’S A BREAKDOWN IN
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION. I KNOW PEOPLE ARE AGAINST THIS.
HOW DO YOU BLAME THEM?
THEY THINK THAT THEIR TAXES WERE
LITERALLY GOING TO AMAZON.
THEY THINK THAT WHEN THEY WRITE
A CHECK OR GET A WITHHOLDING
IT’S GOING TO JEFF BEZOS.
IT’S JUST NOT THE CASE.
>> FOR A HELIPAD.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. THEY’RE PUTTING OUT A STORY,
WHAT WILL BEDO WITH THE $3
BILLION.
BILLION. THERE’S NOTHING DO WITH THE $3
BILLION IF IT’S NOT HERE.
I’M SO LIVID ABOUT THIS.
IT’S SO SAD.
WE CAN’T CORRECTLY EDUCATE THE
CITIZENS WHO WOULD BENEFIT.
THE BENEFIT WOULD BE OVER A
BILLION DOLLAR AS YEAR FOR FIVE
YEARS.
YEARS. WHAT THEY WERE DOING IS
ESSENTIALLY ISSUING A COUPON, A
10% OFF COUPON.
IF YOU SAY, WHY DOES AMAZON NEED
10% OFF, I’M RIGHT WITH YOU.
THEY DON’T NEED IT.
THEY WANT IT.
MAIN WE SCREWED UP AND SHOULD
HAVE GIVEN THEM 5% OR 0% OFF.
BUT NOW WE’RE NOT GETTING A
BILLION A YEAR.
WAY TO GO.
IT SHOWS HOW THEY CAN COME
TOGETHER AND DENY NEW YORK CITY
AND STATE A BILLION DOLLARS A
YEAR.
YEAR. >> THERE’S A QUOTE IN THE F.T.
THAT STICK OUT TO ME.
THE OPPONENTS OF THE AMAZON DEAL
WOULD DO WELL TO UNDERSTAND THAT
AS HARD AS THE CHALLENGES ARE TO
DEAL WITH, THE CHALLENGES
ASSOCIATED WITH DECLINE ARE MUCH
HARDER TO DEAL WITH MTD DO THE
BEEN?
BEEN? I THINK AARON ROSS SORKIN CALLED
THIS ECONOMIC LITERACY.
>> WHEN THEY SAID, THIS IS A
GOOD THING, I HAVE A DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE ON ALL OF THIS.
>> THAT’S WHY YOU’RE INVITED.
>> I’M FROM WISCONSIN.
>> YOU’RE WITH THE FOXCONN
TERRITORY.
TERRITORY. >> IT FEELS VERY, VERY SIMILAR
TO ALL OF THIS.
>> EXCEPT FOXCONN AND AMAZON ARE
TWO DIFFERENT BUSINESSES.
>> IT’S A PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEM.
YOU HAVE THE LARGE CORPORATIONS
THAT COME IN AND DEAL WITH THEM
AS THOUGH THEY’RE AN EQUAL
SOVEREIGN AND YOU HAVE THE
GOVERNMENT PICKING AND CHOOSING
THE WINNERS AND LOSERS.
THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
YOU HAVE THIS INCESTUOUS
RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP. TIM MAKES A REALLY GOOD POINT.
YOU HAVE APPLE AND GOOGLE WHO
HAVE BEEN EXPANDING WITHOUT ANY
OF THE DRAMA AND INCENTIVES.
>> BEZOS COULD HAVE COME HERE
WITHOUT THE BEAUTY PAGEANT THAT
COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM MOUNTAINS
OF FREE DATA.
>> ONE OTHER POINT AS SOMEBODY
FROM FLYOVER COUNTRY.
WE HAVE THIS WEALTH INEQUALITY
AND INCOME INEQUALITY.
LOOK AT THE MAP.
WE HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE
CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH AND
COMMERCE ALONG THE COFFEE AND
THEN THERE’S THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY, AND WE’LL ALL TALK
ABOUT HOW WE HAVE HOLLOWED OUT
COUNTIES AND COMMUNITIES AND THE
INCENTIVE STRUCTURE THAT LEADS
COMPANIES TO INVEST IN COUNTRIES
THAT ARE ALREADY QUITE WEALTHY.
I’M CONSERVATIVE -- I’M ONE OF
THE FREE MARKET CONSERVATIVES,
BUT THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH
THE INCENTIVES TO HAVE THE THUMB
ON THE SCALE HERE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES
AND COUNTIES AND CITIES ALL
ACROSS AMERICA THAT WOULD BE
GLAD TO HAVE THOSE JOBS.
>> YOU COULD GO TO BALTIMORE OR
PHILADELPHIA.
PHILADELPHIA. >> IT’S NOT JUST INCENTIVES.
ALSO IT’S ACCESS TO A CERTAIN
KIND OF WORK-FORCE.
>> RIGHT, RIGHT.
>> THAT’S WHY THEY’VE GOT AN
DISCOUNT BECAUSE WE IN NEW YORK
HAVE THE WORKERS.
>> THAT’S WHY THEY WANT TO BE
HERE AND WHY THEY’RE NOT GOING
TO ATLANTA AND WHY THEIR GROWTH
IN NASHVILLE MAY BE LIMITED.
>> WE MAY HAVE A BIG EMPTY LOT
IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN SOON
TOO OR IF THEY WANT TO -- IF
AMAZON IS WATCHING, YOU KNOW --
>> YOU NEED A TECH-SASHY
WORK-FORCE, A UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
THAT IS DEVELOPED AROUND R & D.
>> AND YOU KNOW WHO’S A PERFECT
EXAMPLE OF THAT?
PITTSBURGH.
PITTSBURGH. PITTSBURGH HAS HAD A RENAISSANCE
IN THE LAST TEN YEARS
RECOGNIZING CARNEGIE MELON IS
THERE.
THERE. >> AND COLUMBUS.
YOU’RE RIGHT.
YOU’RE RIGHT. AMAZON WAS IMPERFECT.
THEY IMPERFECTLY WANTED TO GIVE
NEW YORKERS A BILLION DOLLARS A
YEAR.
YEAR. AND BECAUSE OF THEIR
IMPERFECTIONS, WE REJECTED THE
DEAL.
DEAL. IT SHOULD BE BETTER.
WE SHOULD BE LOOKING.
I COULD GET INTO FINE DETAILS
WHY LONG ISLAND CITY SHOULDN’T
BE BENEFITTING.
BE BENEFITTING. >> BUT, NIKAL, SEASONAL IT MORE
THAN JUST IMPERFECTIONS?
IF AMAZON SHOWED UP TO PLAY AND
ACTUALLY SAID, I LOVE YOU, NEW
YORK, HERE’S WHAT I’M GOING TO
DO TO MAKE CITYING BETTER,
YOU’RE GOING, IT TOOK ME 40
EXTRA MINUTES BECAUSE THE
SUBWAY’S SO JAMMED UP.
IF I’M AN AVERAGE NEW YORKER AND
I’M MISREADING A WHOLE LOT OF
INFORMATION AND I SAY, WAIT A
MINUTE, THEY PAY NOTHING IN
FEDERAL TAXES?
FEDERAL TAXES? I WOULD BE ANNOYED BECAUSE I
DON’T UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE
PICTURE.
PICTURE. >> MOST NEW YORKERS WEREN’T
ANNOYED.
ANNOYED. THEY WANTED THEM HERE BECAUSE
THEY WANTED THE $1 BILLION A
YEAR.
YEAR. >> THAT’S GREAT POINT.
ALL THE PEOPLE BEHIND AOC, ARE
THEY ACTUALLY HER CONSTITUENTS?
>> IT’S NOT HER DISTRICT.
LET’S COMPARE THAT.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" GOT IT
WRONG.
WRONG. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" WHO COVERS
THESE TWO CONGRESSWOMAN DIDN’T
KNOW WHOSE DISTRICT IT WAS
BECAUSE MALONEY HAD NO
COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THIS.
I THINK WE’RE IN AN AREA LIKE
AOC.
AOC. I DON’T BEGRUJ HER THIS.
SHE’S AN HONEST PERSON.
IT’S HER AUDIOOLOGY.
SHE’S PURSUING IT.
BUT IT’S BAD FOR NEW YORKERS.
WE’RE IN AN ERA WHERE DOZENS OF
CONGRESSPEOPLE WHO GO ABOUT
THINGS THE WRONG WAY HAVE NO
IDEA.
IDEA. >> THAT’S CALLED THE REVERSE
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERY
REPUBLICAN ON PLANET EARTH WHEN
TRUMP SHOWED UP TO THE PARTY.