Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2 • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#541

Post by pdelbarba » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:15 PM UTC

hbosch wrote: post #305

hinkley wrote: post #215

It amuses me to think of what will happen to Amazon’s neurotic overworking culture if their other HQ in Miami or Denver. I can’t see amazon casting a big enough cultural shadow to change those cities instead of those cities changing them.

Hm. I have always thought of Seattle and Denver having equally blue-leaning, outdoorsy, marijuana-legalizing, progressively-led cities. What are the cultural differences between them that you're thinking of?

The outdoors are extremely accessible here in Denver. The culture here is very strongly in favor work/life balance since everyone hauls ass out into the mountains every Friday afternoon.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#542

Post by appstateguy » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:15 PM UTC

scarmig wrote: post #538

appstateguy wrote: post #496

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There really has been some prejudiced undertones in this thread that belittle the southeast.

Texas is one bad election from making it legal to discriminate against LGBT communities and racial minorities. North Carolina is already there. That's a nonstarter.

Your comment is ignorant of both the past and future trajectories of the voting populations for both Texas and North Carolina. NC has only become "far right" since 2010. Prior to that it's legislature was controlled by democrats since 1990. Increases in hispanic and latino populations within Texas could turn it blue within the next 20 years.

It is very short sighted thinking to think this won't change.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#543

Post by bayfunnyguy » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:16 PM UTC

I'm just glad the Bay Area isn't on that list.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#544

Post by elif » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:16 PM UTC

paxy wrote: post #530

epmatsw wrote: post #296

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I’ve heard, there’s a bunch of mostly unused land south of the football stadium that has been slowly being bought up over the last year or so. Obvious speculation is that it’s either Amazon or someone betting that Amazon will want to buy a big chunk of land near downtown...

Would be a pretty big slap in the face for all other "contestants" if it turns out that Amazon intended to move to Atlanta all along and this whole thing was only for publicity and leverage.

The thing about real estate on that scale is, to not get ripped off you have to time it carefully.

It probably would cost amazon less to buy 10 potential properties and resell 9 of them, than to announce their intentions and then attempt to buy their chosen property.

In Atlanta, we already learned that lesson by announcing the BeltLine (mixed use alternative transit development corridor around the city) before acquiring any of the land. A decade later, after court battles involving the city purchasing land via the Board of Education in order to prevent further price gouging, we still don't have all the land needed, and only ~10% of the project is completed.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#545

Post by elif » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:18 PM UTC

droopybuns wrote: post #314

drumttocs8 wrote: post #249

Amazon would have the greatest impact in Atlanta. You could argue that Atlanta is the economic, cultural, and geographical center of the Southeastern United States. It has the busiest airport in the world and is a major rail hub. There are already dozens of major corporations headquaratered in Atlanta. There is no shortage of talent, with a top-5 engineering school in Georgia Tech. Yet there are things missing which…

When I saw Atlanta on the list, I felt that it's over. The rail system is far superior to what exists in Seattle & should support reasonable suburban commutes. Georgia Tech's talent supply makes it interesting, but I get the impression that Amazon hires people with more experience than just straight out of college.

georgia tech grad here, was offered a vacation to seattle to interview.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#546

Post by lolsal » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:19 PM UTC

dude01 wrote: post #286

lolsal wrote: post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why?

Assuming Amazon is going to create an HQ somewhere in America, consider the two situations: 1) Current situation, they will eventually get a very large tax cut from wherever they select. 2) Hypothetical situation: local tax breaks are not allowed, Amazon selects a location and pays the local taxes that it avoided in situation #1.

You think small governments (states, or cities being 'small') having autonomy over how they tax themselves is a bad thing?

There are more than two situations, or you're over-simplifying the effect of a massive company like Amazon moving to a city.

A 'tax cut' does not mean they are contributing $0 to the local economy. I would guess (I'm not a city planner or anything like that) the overall economic impact of such a move vastly offsets any tax breaks offered (even if that means there are less taxes being given directly to those governing bodies).

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#547

Post by nerfhammer » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:23 PM UTC

adamc wrote: post #481

OrwellianChild wrote: post #469

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would really like to know why this is getting downvoted... The reasoning here is sound - jobs create economic growth. These governments are forgoing a portion of the tax income that currently does not exist but would be gained by Amazon's arrival in exchange for getting Amazon to come in the first place . This is not an Olympic Games or a sports stadium that benefits very few individuals economically. This is a pro…

I didn't downvote it, but you omit an import issue: Amazon coming will also increase expenses for the city -- police, fire protection, sewers, etc. Tax revenue exists to pay for these things. It is not unreasonable to worry about whether the net effect of giving big tax breaks and bringing in a company like Amazon will be negative.

population of philadelphia: 1.56 million

supposed HQ2 employees: 50,000

I suspect that the sewers won't overflow, new crime waves, extra fires, etc. There may be impact on transit in a few specific areas, but in terms of total population impact it's difficult to believe that it would noticeably impact the budget in any particular city service. Except for transit.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#548

Post by ng-user » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:24 PM UTC

ynniv wrote: post #516

ng-user wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have sources for the claim that ATL is the busiest airport in the world? Just curious because I've never heard this before.

Only for the last 20 years - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_busiest_airports

Awesome thanks, I had no idea!

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#549

Post by ng-user » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:24 PM UTC

mindcrime wrote: post #429

ng-user wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have sources for the claim that ATL is the busiest airport in the world? Just curious because I've never heard this before.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-busiest-airports-in-th...

Thanks!

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#550

Post by tchock23 » Thu, Jan 18, 2018, 9:26 PM UTC

megaman22 wrote: post #164

I'm kind of surprised none of the old upstate NY tech cities are on this list. Syracuse or Rochester, maybe?

Yeah - I was bummed/surprised about this. Untapped pools of well educated (and loyal) tech workers, low cost of living, no significant infrastructure issues, easy driving access to major cities - there is a lot Amazon could have taken advantage of here...