CONNELL: STRIKING A CAUTIOUS
TONE, THE CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT
FROM NEW YORK, ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ, SEEMS TO BE
GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION, NOT
EVEN IN THE CONGRESS YET,
RAISING CONCERNS OVER AMAZON'S
SECOND HEAD QUARTERS BEING
LOCATED IN QUEENS, NEW YORK,
LONG ISLAND CITY.
HERE IS OTHER QUOTE.
AMAZON ACE BILLION DOLLAR
COMPANY.
THE IDEA IT WILL RECEIVE
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
OF TAX BREAKS AT A TIME OUR
SUBWAY IS CRUMBLING AND OUR
COMMUNITIES NEED MORE
INVESTMENT, NOT LESS IS
EXTREMELY CONCERNING TO
RESIDENTS HERE.
SHE HAD A FEW OTHER TWEETS.
GARY KALTBAUM JOINS US ON THIS.
PRESUMABLY, I DON'T WANT TO PUT
WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, TO SAY
MAYBE THIS IS ECONOMICALLY
MISGUIDED.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
CONGRESSWOMAN'S ISSUES WITH
AMAZON COMING INTO NEW YORK?
>> I DID AN INTERVIEW WITH THE
BIGGEST RADIO STATION IN CHICAGO
TODAY TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AFTER TELLING THEM WHAT THE
POLITICIANS AND IN LONG ISLAND
CITY HAVE BEEN SAYING.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAID IN
CHICAGO?
PLEASE SEND AMAZON HERE.
CONNELL: WE WANT IT, YEP.
>> I CAN PROMISE YOU CITIES WILL
LINE UP THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT
BRAND NAME CORPORATIONS IN THE
WORLD.
IMAGINE SAYING 25,000 JOBS,
PAYING $150,000 A GREER.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS FOR
MEANS FOR RESTAURANTS RETAIL,
AND DOCTORS, LAWYERS, ACCOUNT
ANTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER
THE SUN?
IT IS VIRTUOUS CYCLE.
I KNOW SOCIALISTS ARE
ECONOMICALLY ILLITERATE BUT I
GUESS INSANITY COMES WITH IT.
BY THE WAY, NOT JUST HER.
COUNCILMEN HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT IT.
A STATE SENATOR CAME OUT AND
SAID WE DON'T WANT THIS.
TO DO A RALLY AGAINST THIS.
I DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY
ABOUT IT.
CONNELL: MARK WARNER, SENATOR, A
DEMOCRAT, HAS A BACKGROUND IN
BUSINESS.
HE PUT A STATEMENT OUT, HE WAS
ALL IN FAVOR OF IT FOR NORTHERN
VIRGINIA AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO NOT EVERYBODY BUT IT IS KIND
OF NEW WAVE OF THINKING WHICH
SEEMS KIND OF COUNTERPRODUCTIVE,
YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
YOU TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC IMPACT
STORIES.
SOMETIMES WE SEE, IF IT'S A
SPORTING EVENT, FOR EXAMPLE,
COMING TO AN AREA, THAT IS ONLY
SHORT TERM.
AT THE END OF THE DAY IT DOESN'T
MATTER MUCH BUT THIS IS
PERMANENT MOVE.
GET THE SALARIES THERE.
THE JOURNAL DID A GREAT STORY ON
REAL ESTATE.
BUYING APARTMENTS IN NEW YORK
CITY ON SPEC.
AMAZON IS COMING.
PRICES ARE THROUGH THE ROOF.
THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD MOVE YOU
WOULD THINK FOR BOTH OF THESE
AREAS?
>> HAS ANYBODY REALLY HEARD OF
THE WORDS, LONG ISLAND CITY
BEFORE THIS WEEK?
I KNOW IT IS FAMOUS UP THERE BUT
NOT AROUND THE COUNTRY.
IT PUTS THEM ON THE MAP.
IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT AMAZON.
IT IS ABOUT THE NEXT COMPANY
THAT MAY THINK ABOUT.
BY THE WAY, ALL THE TALK, THEY
ALWAYS COMPLAIN ABOUT SPENDING,
THEY USE THE TERM INVESTMENTS,
IT'S A GREAT INVESTMENT TO BRING
A COMPANY LIKE THIS THERE.
CONNELL: YOU THINK THAT IS THE
ARGUMENT?
IS IT WORTH A BILLION DOLLARS,
WHATEVER ITS, OVER A BILLION
DOLLARS?
YOU THINK IT IS WORTH IT WITH
THE TAX BREAKS AND TAX
INCENTIVES?
THAT WOULD BE ARGUMENT,
CORPORATE WELFARE, GIVING
HANDOUTS TO THE COMPANIES THAT
DON'T NEED IT, QUOTE, UNQUOTE,
BUT YOU SAY THAT IS WORTH IT IN
THIS CASE?
>> HELL YES.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LONG-TERM
GROWTH.
LONG-TERM GROWTH.
AMAZON IS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT
INVESTING $5 BILLION INTO THE
AREA.
AGAIN, I USE THE TERM VIRTUOUS
CYCLE.
YOU START SOMETHING AND IT LEADS
TO THE NEXT AND THE NEXT.
IF THERE ARE AREAS THAT MAY BE
DILAPIDATED IN LONG ISLAND CITY
THEY GET BUILT UP.
ALL OF SUDDEN YOU HAVE SHOPPING
MALLS AND STARBUCKS AND THINGS
LIKE THAT.
IT JUST TURNS INTO GREATNESS.
THE AMAZING THING TO SIT BACK
AND SAY, NO, WE DON'T WANT THIS,
IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.
AGAIN AS I SAID IT BEST, 200
CITIES WILL LINE UP TOMORROW IF
THEY TELL, IF LONG ISLAND CITY
TELLS THEM TO TAKE A FLYER.
CONNELL: TO BE FAIR LONG ISLAND
CITY IT HAS BEEN UP-AND-COMING.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOREVER.
YEARS AGO IT WAS BEAT UP.
IT HAS BEEN UP-AND-COMING LAST
FEW YEARS.
THIS WILL HELP IT EVEN MORE.
>> NO DOUBT.
MY MAIN POINT, NOT A LOT OF
PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEM.
CONNELL: I GET YOU.
>> NOW THEY WILL.