Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was one of the progressive leaders in New York City credited with blocking $3 billion in public subsidies for Amazon to open an additional headquarters.
But Amazon is moving into NYC despite the lack of subsidies.
"The giant online retailer said it has signed a new lease for 335,000 square feet on the city’s west side in the new Hudson Yards neighborhood, where it will have more than 1,500 employees," The Wall Street Journalreported. "Amazon is taking the space without any of the special tax credits and other inducements the company had been offered to build a new headquarters in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City, the company said."
"The new lease represents Amazon’s largest expansion in New York since it stunned the city by abandoning those earlier plans. Amazon pulled back after facing a backlash from some politicians and activists over the roughly $3 billion in financial incentives the city and state had extended to woo the company and the 25,000 new jobs it had pledged to create," The Journal explained.
Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, took a victory lap after her argument that the subsidies were unnecessary was vindicated.
"Won’t you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway - *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, helipad handouts for Jeff Bezos, and corporate giveaways," she tweeted.
Won’t you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway - *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, hel… https://t.co/Gvka3BTgBC— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575672429.0
Me waiting on the haters to apologize after we were proven right on Amazon and saved the public billions… https://t.co/QqFQIGjnRC— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1575674710.0
Here are some of her previous thoughts on the company:
Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazo… https://t.co/EGic6XVJ26— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1550169751.0
This deal wasn’t a simple tax break. It was $3 BILLION dollars. When the community wanted to negotiate, Amazon said… https://t.co/Q9E8zF3tZZ— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1550243136.0
Not sure how many pundits talking about Amazon even read the deal or where it was going. $500+ million of the deal… https://t.co/TptpoRCYMb— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1550618680.0
Now what I DON’T want is for our public funds to be funding freebie helipads for Amazon + robber baron billionaires… https://t.co/A94c9kkPvn— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1543944124.0
Amazon touting “jobs” (has anyone fact-checked where this 25k number even came from? How many were promised to be l… https://t.co/0P3RQqpuCE— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1550244373.0
Last year, Amazon paid nothing in fed taxes and got almost a billion-dollar refund. 10% of their workforce is on f… https://t.co/EFdkJ8SpxP— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1519240653.0
From “day one?” Really? 1 in 10 of Amazon’s Ohio employees were on food stamps after the company opened fulfillmen… https://t.co/jUyRbupnAJ— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1560818687.0
Amazon hiring former NYC Councilmembers to be their lobbyists doesn’t change the fact that they are trying to tramp… https://t.co/NPR336KHTh— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1544641589.0
Queens City Councilman @JimmyVanBramer and State Senator @SenGianaris have come out against HQ2 deal: “The burden… https://t.co/chfZpCMT5h— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1542113003.0
