Council Member Jumaane D. Williams RESPONDS TO THE AMAZON EXPANSION ANNOUNCEMENT

  STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS

Last year, I signed onto a letter encouraging Amazon to consider New York City as a site for its new headquarters. This was intended to be the beginning of a conversation- I thought that it would have been irresponsible not to at least explore the possibility of adding thousands of new jobs. What I could not have thought was that the next response in that conversation would be a secret back room deal, reached to undermine and cut out all of the stakeholders in this issue.  

Communities throughout New York City are in need of economic development, and I had hoped that if Amazon expressed interest in expanding in the city, a productive conversation could be held between the city, state, community, unions, local business owners, advocates, and more. 

It is clear that Amazon intends to move forward in its plan without adequate dialogue and compromise.The Governor, and the Mayor alongside him, have been willing to circumvent that conversation for expediency and at the expense of community involvement, lured by promises Amazon made when offered extravagant incentives and disregarding the basic responsibilities of the process. This is characteristic of Governor Cuomo, despite his history of failing to provide jobs through these same kind of tax incentives. I am deeply disappointed, though, that Mayor de Blasio  would cede the power and authority of New York City in allowing this deal to proceed, without even attempting to include stakeholders in the process. It is telling to me that these two executives could not get together to help struggling NYCHA tenants or to fix public transportation, but were able and eager to arrange this deal.

Our government should be taking steps to act as a check on rampant corporate expansion, to ensure that any new development is designed with the greatest possible benefit to New Yorkers in need and to prevent any unintended consequences. Small businesses must be given the tools to survive and thrive, and economically disadvantaged New Yorkers need to be given enhanced opportunity in this new development. We must put community interests over corporate interests. 

I am opposing this deal as it stands, and will do all in my power to fight its implementation.