Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America

#171

Post by adventured » Thu, Sep 07, 2017, 3:11 PM UTC

grecy wrote: post #161

jpatokal wrote: post #24

The RFP is rather more interesting than the marketing page: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/Anything... The 2nd criterion is basically the total amount of sweet, sweet taxpayer dollars available to subsidize them: Please provide a summary of total incentives offered for the Project by the state/province and local community. In this summary, please provide a brief description of the incentive item,…

And anyone wonders why the USA does not have money for healthcare, higher education, high speed rail, etc. etc. I am in West Africa and everyone continually asks about the corruption. At least here it's up front and honest. The guy with the AK-47 just wants $5. In the USA, it's the guys in suits getting billions.

Since when does the US not have money for healthcare and higher education? We spend more on both per capita than any other nation on earth.

We don't have money for high speed rail? Sure we do, we spend $7 trillion per year on government - 37% of our economy goes to government. Pick your priorities.

Re: Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America

#172

Post by dodobirdlord » Thu, Sep 07, 2017, 3:14 PM UTC

baron816 wrote: post #143

You have to consider that this may be a political move by Bezos. The term "anti-trust" has been brought up a lot lately in regards to 'Big Tech.' If Amazon becomes a big employer in a lot of low population states, it would effectively be buying itself those states's Senators and creating an 'Amazon Industrial Complex.' On the other hand, Bezos might want to just move the margins and try to make a purple state blue. F…

I would not be too surprised if the final decision was Columbus. There's no shortage of land, there's reasonable access to tech talent, a reasonably solid major research university, prices are comparatively low, and the city also has a positive reputation in a way that neither Cleveland or Cincinnati have. Further, the current governor and legislature of Ohio have really been going to bat in recent years to try to turn Columbus into a tech hub to generally revitalize Ohio.

Re: Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America

#173

Post by 1_2__4 » Thu, Sep 07, 2017, 3:14 PM UTC

DanCarvajal wrote: post #132

alexval wrote: post #84

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Pittsburgh yet. uber did some early self driving pilots there. CMU is there. Google has a large office there. Amazon has also started hiring software engineers for an office in Pittsburgh too. Cost of living is very cheap. Many upsides to Pittsburgh. I don't know what the city could afford in terms of subsidies though.

PA Corporate tax is one of the highest in the country. Though it's not a terrible option.

Effective rate, or published rate?

Re: Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America

#174

Post by Eridrus » Thu, Sep 07, 2017, 3:14 PM UTC

dpeterson wrote: post #124

I think it's possible Amazon is not so much shopping for a second HQ as it is looking to move work from the high rent, pro union Seattle area. Only, they saw how much negative press Boeing received after making their true intentions known for moving work to southern states. Amazon is being sneakier. If all works out, long term I imagine much of their high end development work may move from Seattle.

I don't think they would gain much negative press if they said they were moving jobs out of Seattle. The people who care about union jobs generally see software engineers as gentrifiers and would prefer that they left and stopped driving rent up.

Re: Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America

#175

Post by euyyn » Thu, Sep 07, 2017, 3:15 PM UTC

grecy wrote: post #161

jpatokal wrote: post #24

The RFP is rather more interesting than the marketing page: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/Anything... The 2nd criterion is basically the total amount of sweet, sweet taxpayer dollars available to subsidize them: Please provide a summary of total incentives offered for the Project by the state/province and local community. In this summary, please provide a brief description of the incentive item,…

And anyone wonders why the USA does not have money for healthcare, higher education, high speed rail, etc. etc. I am in West Africa and everyone continually asks about the corruption. At least here it's up front and honest. The guy with the AK-47 just wants $5. In the USA, it's the guys in suits getting billions.

I mean, if you don't like the tax cuts your city government offers Amazon to try and get their headquarter, you can vote them out come the next election.

Re: Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America

#176

Post by 1_2__4 » Thu, Sep 07, 2017, 3:15 PM UTC

clavalle wrote: post #138

Thinking about what cities should lay out the red carpet, if I were a city official in, say, St. Louis or Detroit, I'd be putting together an incentive plan worth billions. Amazon could turn around an entire mid-size city.

And then have it (the city) by the balls forever, to the detriment of the human inhabitants who are supposed to be the ones in charge of deciding what government does.

Re: Amazon to Build Second HQ in North America

#177

Post by ynniv » Thu, Sep 07, 2017, 3:16 PM UTC

If you take their transit and airport requirements seriously, Atlanta and perhaps Miami are top contenders. I'm biased, but the list of requirements looks like a description of a currently undeveloped area of downtown Atlanta that has been targeted for redevelopment:

https://atlanta.curbed.com/2017/6/30/15900526/downtown-atlan...

http://atlantaintownpaper.com/2017/08/lawmakers-want-revive-...