Althouse: "Amazon chose 20 possible cities for next headquarters. These application videos show how hungry cities are for HQ2. Amazon CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Post."

February 26, 2018

"Amazon chose 20 possible cities for next headquarters. These application videos show how hungry cities are for HQ2. Amazon CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Post."

That's the caption on this WaPo video about how a few cities should be embarrassed for wanting Amazon so bad:

64 comments:

Spiros Pappas said...: This bullsh*t behavior is a powerful argument for national action. State governments used to cut corners in pollution control and conservation in order to attract industry. The results were disastrous. Remember acid rain! How about the industrial debris in Cleveland's Cuyahoga River that actually caught fire? It sucked pretty much everywhere. Right now, we have another race to the bottom. State governments are never going to learn. Subsidizing these creeps is just bad economics. The best way to grow the economy is by investing in public services and education. We all know that! So tax Mr. Bezos, don't subsidize him!; 2/26/18, 4:29 PM
bleh said...: A weird message to read in the Washington Post, which is owned by Mr. Bezos.; 2/26/18, 4:30 PM
Sebastian said...: No sentient CEO would locate in CA. Most of the Midwest is too prone to tornadoes. Chicago or above is too cold. Gotta have good transportation links and a decent cost of living. Ergo, leaving bribes out of it: Indianapolis or Atlanta.; 2/26/18, 4:41 PM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: Indianapolis or Atlanta

Atlanta's traffic/infrastructure is too bad and no tech talent wants to move to Indianapolis for God's sake.

Gonna be outside DFW. Centrally located; lots of nonstop flights from a good airport; Abbot will give them anything they want; no state income tax; tons of empty prairie to fill with subdivisions and new freeways; good existing freeways; universities.; 2/26/18, 4:46 PM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: And agreed that it's downright embarrassing how much groveling has taken place.; 2/26/18, 4:47 PM
Dave said...: Cities know how much an operation like that means to the local economy. Which is ironic since socialists run the cities.

Did the premise hint at the conclusion? I hope not...I prefer my premises obscure.; 2/26/18, 4:49 PM
Sebastian said...: "outside DFW." OK, OK, but -- Texas?; 2/26/18, 4:55 PM
buwaya said...: "The best way to grow the economy is by investing in public services and education."

"Education" is a sometimes latent, inherent quality of the local population, and experience shows that it cannot be forced by "investment". If the people need and benefit from "education", really training, they will get it. Building schools, hiring teachers, and forcing the unwilling into them is a huge waste of resources and a waste of time for the victims.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" is the bit of wisdom that most applies to education almost everywhere.; 2/26/18, 4:58 PM
buwaya said...: "No sentient CEO would locate in CA."

This is true.; 2/26/18, 4:59 PM
AllenS said...: Bust that outfit up into about 100 different entities, and let them settle into 100 different locations. The only answer. Anything they invest in CA, triple their taxes. Fuck em.; 2/26/18, 5:36 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: So now the right is anti-FBI, anti-local cops and anti-Big Business?

It's a strange new world we are living in.; 2/26/18, 5:52 PM
Anonymous said...: I only care about delivery to my house so the HQ2 location is just another political game.; 2/26/18, 5:52 PM
stevew said...: Wanting it is understandable, using public funds to buy it is corrupt.

-sw; 2/26/18, 5:55 PM
Gahrie said...: but -- Texas?

It will give them a chance to do to Texas what they have helped to do to California.; 2/26/18, 5:58 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I’m pulling for Indianapolis. Hoosiers! Gotta love the Hoosiers.; 2/26/18, 6:06 PM
Paul Zrimsek said...: So now the right is anti-FBI, anti-local cops and anti-Big Business?

"Life is full of ironies for the stupid." --P.J. O'Rourke, Parliament of Whores; 2/26/18, 6:06 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Crossroads of America.

Great housing. Great place to actually live and make a family.; 2/26/18, 6:08 PM
Michael K said...: I have had some experience with the subsidies that cities, even small cities, provide to attract jobs and local economic benefits.

Usually they do no better than athletic stadiums.

I would think Tennessee would have some good assets but don't know where the whores offer the best deal.; 2/26/18, 6:23 PM
Jim Grey said...: I'm tech talent (Director of Engineering in a software company) and I live in Indianapolis. I like it fine.; 2/26/18, 6:25 PM
Fritz said...: My wife always gets a kick out the the "Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post" on any news story involving Amazon.; 2/26/18, 6:29 PM
Mark said...: Georgia's Lieutenant Governor just lost it for Atlanta.

Good luck Indianapolis. Found a great local restaurant there on our way back from the Outer Banks this summer. Reminded me why I like that city, no attitude just good people and food.; 2/26/18, 6:30 PM
Lars Porsena said...: UPS main hub is in Louisville. A match made in heaven.; 2/26/18, 6:56 PM
john said...: Or Memphis.; 2/26/18, 7:12 PM
Henry said...: Shouldn't they pick Manaus? You know, in Brazil?; 2/26/18, 7:14 PM
Michael K said...: "Georgia's Lieutenant Governor just lost it for Atlanta. "

Bezos prefers pussies,.; 2/26/18, 7:17 PM
Rabel said...: "We expect to invest over $5 billion in construction and grow this second headquarters to include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs – it will be a full equal to our current campus in Seattle. In addition to Amazon’s direct hiring and investment, construction and ongoing operation of Amazon HQ2 is expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community."

Seems to be worth a little groveling if you're a local official.; 2/26/18, 7:20 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: I guess this was inevitable:

Church invites members to bring AR-15 rifles to a commitment ceremony because they believe it's the Bible's 'rod of iron'; 2/26/18, 7:23 PM
Henry said...: It would be kind of funny if they picked some really out-of-the-way place. Imagine $5B in construction and 50,000 high-paying jobs in Presque Isle* Maine, or Monticello Utah.; 2/26/18, 7:25 PM
Henry said...: *Not actually an Isle.; 2/26/18, 7:25 PM
Henry said...: @ BCARM

Muscular Christianity makes the best hymns.

"Hold to the rod, the iron rod;
’Tis strong, and bright, and true.
The iron rod is the word of God;
’Twill safely guide us through."

That's a Mormon entry. Not quite the same quality as Onward Christian Soldiers or A Mighty Fortress is My God, but nothing brightens up church like a march.; 2/26/18, 7:28 PM
Unknown said...: Hence the "Presque"; 2/26/18, 7:30 PM
RNB said...: "Georgia's Lt. Governor just lost it for Atlanta."

It was never Atlanta's to lose. The whole process is as phony as the "search" for an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara. It's doubtful there were ever more than five serious options being considered the whole time.

All Casey Cagle showed was that he won't whore quite as hard as Nathan Deal (the Gov) for business promises of future largesse.; 2/26/18, 7:42 PM
Michael said...: My money is on Austin,Texas. Closer culturally to Seattle than Dallas or Atlanta and with loads of tech people in residence. And before you mention air convenience think about the Bentonville Arkansas airport.; 2/26/18, 7:54 PM
Henry said...: @Unknown -- The one Summer I lived in Maine, there was always some kind of news tidbit from Presque Isle. For the longest time I thought it was out in the ocean somewhere and had very weird weather. Place names are funny. Mount Desert Island does not actually host a desert on top of any of it's unwooded mountains. And Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island does not actually look like the Island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea.; 2/26/18, 7:56 PM
Henry said...: I kind of like the Frisco "Progress in Motion" shout. It is both stilted and enthusiastic in a way that reminds me of an anime theme song.; 2/26/18, 8:00 PM
Humperdink said...: Beloved Commenter disARM can't wait for a cafe thread to change the subject.; 2/26/18, 8:11 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Off topic, but dresses and tops that bare just the upper arm are tacky as hell. It looks like some particularly clueless hillbilly fashion. How do women buy into this shit?; 2/26/18, 8:21 PM
Mark said...: "Bezos prefers pussies"

Because nothing says manliness like discounts on airfare.

I am sure Delta will be happy to find a new home, one where they have the right to make business decisions without the government punishing them.

I bet they can even get a sweet deal out of it.; 2/26/18, 8:23 PM
BJM said...: ...and this is how red states turn blue.; 2/26/18, 8:23 PM
TIM CARROLL said...: My Alexa started to answer the questions posed in the video, funny not one answer was for the cities mentioned!; 2/26/18, 8:59 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "I am sure Delta will be happy to find a new home, one where they have the right to make business decisions without the government punishing them.

I bet they can even get a sweet deal out of it."

Hey, Beretta did so why not Delta? I do have to wonder at the limits of alienating huge chunks of your potential customers, though. Especially for things as prosaic and competitive as air travel and car rentals.; 2/26/18, 9:11 PM
buwaya said...: The "government punishing them" bit is why any number of businesses have fled California.; 2/26/18, 9:16 PM
wildswan said...: I wonder which five cities are the real contenders - or if there are any real contenders. Maybe Bezos knew all along it would be A CALIFORNIA CITY.; 2/26/18, 10:31 PM
Expat(ish) said...: @Delta was not "punished" by the government, they lost a bid for a fill-up of sweet sweet high octane capital cronyism.

Delta wanted a gas tax concession put back into law. A tax concession that, effectively, no other business or consumer in GA would enjoy. They'd had it before the 2008 recession and wanted it back. So they spent a lot of money lobbying. Then they gave their almost bought-and-paid for politicians a chance to score cheap points with the deplorables.

Suck it, Delta boys.

-XC

PS - As near as I can guess, the CFO is the only GA boy in the management ranks.

PPS - The only female on the Delta board is in HR (natch) and you have to get to the CIO before you get anyone not lilly-white. And he's from India, so dog-whistle there! Cleary a pile of privileged cis racists. http://news.delta.com/tags/delta-leadership-committee; 2/27/18, 5:33 AM
donald said...: Delta isn’t going anywhere.; 2/27/18, 5:57 AM
Jaq said...: So now the right is anti-FBI, anti-local cops and anti-Big Business?

We can use this same sophisticated analytical technique to surmise that the left has suddenly become anti-government since the last election.; 2/27/18, 6:07 AM
Jaq said...: “Any institution that I support is above criticism, because the contradictions of holding an honored institution to the high standards that justify my support hurt my head!” -- Beloved’s Law.; 2/27/18, 6:10 AM
Jaq said...: Rhetoric is something that sounds like logic, but isn’t. Some well beloved commenters seem unable to tell the difference.; 2/27/18, 6:17 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Oh, and I forgot to mention, anti-balanced budgets.; 2/27/18, 6:25 AM
Peter said...: Toronto is also in the mix. This video shows that we Canadians are much more sober and dignified when we drop our pants and bend over.; 2/27/18, 7:08 AM
Rusty said...: Blogger Humperdink said...
Beloved Commenter disARM can't wait for a cafe thread to change the subject.

Don't encourage morons.

Althouse. Anywhere but Illinois. A state run by people like our usual suspects and totally fucked up.
Shopping for retirement digs this summer.; 2/27/18, 7:18 AM
Paco Wové said...: "Some ... commenters seem unable to tell the difference."

When all you've got is a hammer, you do a lot of hammering.; 2/27/18, 7:33 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: UPS main hub is in Louisville. A match made in heaven.

UPS's days are numbered. Amazon leases 20 planes; starts air freight service

I'm tech talent (Director of Engineering in a software company) and I live in Indianapolis. I like it fine.

I'm sure you do but you are not representative of most Amazonians, your city is not known for its tech industry, and your airport is not a hub and is one seventh the size of DFW.

My money is on Austin,Texas. Closer culturally to Seattle than Dallas or Atlanta and with loads of tech people in residence. And before you mention air convenience think about the Bentonville Arkansas airport.

A real airport was a specific requirement of Amazon's; not sure what Walmart has to do with anything. Bergstrom is a complete joke and not remotely close to adequate for Amazon's needs, not to mention the other infrastructure problems Austin suffers from. Have you ever seen I-35?; 2/27/18, 7:37 AM
Jessica said...: Does it ever occur to the cool kids at the Post that these leaders are working for jobs and prosperity for their fellow citizens? Nah... so much cooler to make fun of the earnestness of the squares.; 2/27/18, 8:03 AM
MadisonMan said...: And before you mention air convenience think about the Bentonville Arkansas airport.

The most poorly sited airport in America, IMO. Why do you put an airport 30 miles from everywhere?

I also agree that Austin has significant infrastructure problems. So much would have to be fixed before the city could absorb Amazon.; 2/27/18, 8:36 AM
MD Greene said...: RNB said --

It's doubtful there were ever more than five serious options being considered the whole time.

YES. It's all for show. NJ offered up $7 billion in tax concessions to support the Newark bid, and Newark was never, ever on the list in the first place. The same for many others. It's unseemly to be sucking up to the richest man in the world. It really is.

Likely selection is around DC, convenient for Bezos, but if he were interested in doing something good, he'd choose someplace like Memphis or Cinncinati or Detroit. Fewer residents, overbuilt infrastructure and opportunities to demonstrate how relics of the industrial age can be repurposed.

As for the tech thing, people are generally happy to move for good jobs and even happier if they can afford to buy houses.; 2/27/18, 8:56 AM
Michael said...: Like Walmart, Amazon's customers come to them and not the other way around. Amazon is searching for a second headquarters not a distribution center.; 2/27/18, 9:03 AM
Jaq said...: Like a stopped clock, he is right about balanced budgets, though he remains silent on Obama's use of the IRS to cripple the Tea Party.; 2/27/18, 9:24 AM
Danno said...: Mark said...I am sure Delta will be happy to find a new home, one where they have the right to make business decisions without the government punishing them. I bet they can even get a sweet deal out of it.

Delta doubled down on a centralized "main" hub/headquarters when they came out of bankruptcy and acquired Northwest. No one in their right mind would subsidize unwinding that. Besides, Georgia is quite tax friendly as it is.; 2/27/18, 10:02 AM
Danno said...: Tim in Vt said...We can use this same sophisticated analytical technique to surmise that the left has suddenly become anti-government since the last election.

One of the best thoughts/conclusions on this thread.; 2/27/18, 10:07 AM
Danno said...: Blogger Peter said...Toronto is also in the mix. This video shows that we Canadians are much more sober and dignified when we drop our pants and bend over.

Well you Canadians have been "bending over" since we rebelled against the British. It really shows in your thoughts on the gun debate and the right to bear arms.; 2/27/18, 10:09 AM
Joaquin said...: Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina!!!; 2/27/18, 12:06 PM
SchrefflerFamily said...: Living in the Greater Austin area, I know we are hopeful of our chances. But we'll survive even if we don't get it.; 2/27/18, 12:12 PM
hstad said...: LOL - second HQs means what? Amazon is headquartered in Luxembourg to avoid taxes! That's your famous liberal loved by the progressives - owner of WAPO! LOL - sheeple being led into oblivion by a charlatan.; 2/27/18, 1:56 PM