STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON AMAZON HQ2
“You have to be tough to make it in New York City. We gave Amazon the opportunity to be a good neighbor and do business in the greatest city in the world. Instead of working with the community, Amazon threw away that opportunity. We have the best talent in the world and every day we are growing a stronger and fairer economy for everyone. If Amazon can’t recognize what that’s worth, its competitors will.”
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON AMAZON HQ2
“You have to be tough to make it in New York City. We gave Amazon the opportunity to be a good neighbor and do business in the greatest city in the world. Instead of working with the community, Amazon threw away that opportunity. We have the best talent in the world and every day we are growing a stronger and fairer economy for everyone. If Amazon can’t recognize what that’s worth, its competitors will.”
SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ON AMAZON SCRAPPING PLAN TO OPEN HQ2 IN LONG ISLAND CITY
"I have always welcomed and supported projects spearheaded by developers who engage in good faith with the community they seek to do business in. Amazon's unwillingness to work with and address community concerns is a clear indication that they were never interested in a mutually beneficial agreement or even mitigating the consequences that its enormous footprint would have caused. This is a victory for the people of Queens and New York who organized diligently to make their voices and demands heard. This should serve as a lesson on how to responsibly approach economic development projects in our State. You either keep New Yorkers' best interests in mind and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement or stay home."
PUBLIC ADVOCATE CANDIDATE NOMIKI KONST APPLAUDS ACTIVISTS FOR KILLING AMAZON DEAL AS THE ONLY CANDIDATE REPEATEDLY FIGHTING AGAINST IT
Williams, Mark-Viverito, and others were for the Amazon deal before they were against it
Out of 17 Public Advocate candidates, candidate Konst was the only one repeatedly fighting Amazon before the letter. Candidates Jumaane Williams, Melissa Mark-Viverito, and others all signed a letter encouraging Amazon to consider New York City for their headquarters. Konst was an early critic of the deal citing Amazon’s history of exploitation, lawsuits, dishonesty and deal making in other cities, and attacks on small businesses.
“Amazon should have never been welcomed here. There’s a long history of worker exploitation, dishonest deal making, attacks on small businesses, and the tragic effects of homelessness Amazon has left on communities, this is why is wasn’t just about a backroom deal. This is why a public advocate should have a deep understanding of issues and records, and the economic effects of big business decisions like this,”
A Statement from Assembly Member and Public Advocate Candidate Michael Blake on Breaking Amazon Decision
“It is very disappointing that Amazon is canceling their proposed plan to move to Long Island City. A collaborative deal would have brought Jobs and Justice to New Yorkers. It is a shame that Amazon walked away from the deal and a shame we don’t have more of a strategy as a city around what to do now. Our residents need good jobs and higher wages. Our city needs leadership with a plan for workforce development, including focused on tech sector and related jobs.
As a signatory of the original letter to start the conversation for Amazon to come to New York City, I was excited about the opportunity to work with New Yorkers and Amazon to develop a tech hub in Queens that benefits the entire city, while also preserving necessary labor protections.
STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS
"Two weeks ago when asked 'Let's assume that Amazon is here ...' I was one of the only ones to refuse to allow that assumption.
“This is a huge victory for the grassroots activists and community leaders who spoke out with one collective voice to say no to Amazon. I was the first elected official to stand against the HQ2 deal because it ignored the needs of everyday people and prioritized one of the world’s wealthiest corporations instead. The $3 billion taxpayer giveaway was unconscionable especially in the midst of an affordable housing crisis and a crumbling public transportation system which impacts virtually every resident of New York City. While we won this battle, we must not lose track of the bigger discussion regarding the misguided practice of handing out taxpayer funded giveaways to corporations instead of investing in community needs like schools, infrastructure, affordable housing, environmental sustainability and many other critical programs and services. To that end, I will continue pushing the interstate compact legislation that I have introduced with Senator Julia Salazar which would end the competitive race to the bottom between states when companies like Amazon decide to shop for taxpayer handouts. Through cooperation with other states, we will end taxpayer funded corporate giveaways and finally put people over corporations.”
After countless activists, grassroots organizers and everyday New Yorkers fought back against Amazon's secret bargain with the Mayor and Governor, we're proud that our message was clear: we won't be bulldozed by the world's richest man, who denied honest discussions and open negotiations about jobs and benefits to everyday New Yorkers.
Unlike Walmart whose damage to local economies are based on proximity, Amazon's is not. Even from Virginia, the company's practices will harm us if unchanged. New York had the ability to use its power to force this company to address many of its worst practices. Instead, the hubris of two men destroyed any opportunity.
It's also clear that as suspected, Amazon never wanted meaningful engagement, and could not sustain the disinfectant of sunlight. A backroom deal between the Mayor, Governor and Bezos to give away $3 billion in tax incentives and a helipad, with questionable jobs and loss of Land Use powers were never the answer.
Ron Kim Statement on Cancelled Amazon Deal
Assembly member Ron Kim issued the following statement this afternoon in response to reports that Amazon will no longer be coming to New York
“This is a huge victory for the grassroots activists and community leaders who spoke out with one collective voice to say no to Amazon. I was the first elected official to stand against the HQ2 deal because it ignored the needs of everyday people and prioritized one of the world’s wealthiest corporations instead. The $3 billion taxpayer giveaway was unconscionable especially in the midst of an affordable housing crisis and a crumbling public transportation system which impacts virtually every resident of New York City. While we won this battle, we must not lose track of the bigger discussion regarding the misguided practice of handing out taxpayer funded giveaways to corporations instead of investing in community needs like schools, infrastructure, affordable housing, environmental sustainability and many other critical programs and services. To that end, I will continue pushing the interstate compact legislation that I have introduced with Senator Julia Salazar which would end the competitive race to the bottom between states when companies like Amazon decide to shop for taxpayer handouts. Through cooperation with other states, we will end taxpayer funded corporate giveaways and finally put people over corporations.”
