Amazon Opens Search for Amazon HQ2

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Hey, I was born in Torrance! Grew up (partly) in Lomita.

I was born in San Bernardino (well, technically, the Kaiser Hospital in Fontana). Before leaving California for Maryland (my dad wanted us to "learn how to work" so we moved to a dairy farm) we lived in Laguna Beach for a couple years. But I've lived all over the western United States (after moving to Montana from Maryland). Even went back to California for a few years and worked in Ventura. The last time I worked in California I lived in Yucca Valley (helped install a new phone switch at the 29 Palms Marine Base). Loved the high desert – the first time it rained it took me back to when I was a kid in San Bernardino, the smell of the rain was exactly the same. Now I'm "stuck" in Fort Worth. If it was up to me, I would probably be back up in Montana (somewhere with mountains anyhow).

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I was born in San Bernardino (well, technically, the Kaiser Hospital in Fontana). Before leaving California for Maryland (my dad wanted us to "learn how to work" so we moved to a dairy farm) we lived in Laguna Beach for a couple years. But I've lived all over the western United States (after moving to Montana from Maryland). Even went back to California for a few years and worked in Ventura. The last time I worked in California I lived in Yucca Valley (helped install a new phone switch at the 29 Palms Marine Base). Loved the high desert – the first time it rained it took me back to when I was a kid in San Bernardino, the smell of the rain was exactly the same. Now I'm "stuck" in Fort Worth. If it was up to me, I would probably be back up in Montana (somewhere with mountains anyhow).

There are worse places to be stuck.
At least you have lakes and other stuff to do.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

There are worse places to be stuck.
At least you have lakes and other stuff to do.

I think if I lived in a small town or out in the country a bit, I wouldn't mind it nearly as much. I hate the constant road construction and traffic.

[binaryhermit]

https://lifehacker.com/why-you-shoul...own-1822234280

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I think if I lived in a small town or out in the country a bit, I wouldn't mind it nearly as much. I hate the constant road construction and traffic.

Road construction is a constant here too. Or worse, closing half a major road to replace lines.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I was born in San Bernardino (well, technically, the Kaiser Hospital in Fontana). Before leaving California for Maryland (my dad wanted us to "learn how to work" so we moved to a dairy farm) we lived in Laguna Beach for a couple years. But I've lived all over the western United States (after moving to Montana from Maryland). Even went back to California for a few years and worked in Ventura. The last time I worked in California I lived in Yucca Valley (helped install a new phone switch at the 29 Palms Marine Base). Loved the high desert – the first time it rained it took me back to when I was a kid in San Bernardino, the smell of the rain was exactly the same. Now I'm "stuck" in Fort Worth. If it was up to me, I would probably be back up in Montana (somewhere with mountains anyhow).

I've lived most of my life in Southern California: Lomita, Riverside, Laguna Hills and Long Beach with a brief detour to Steinbeck country (spent about a year in Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world) before getting stuck in Houston.

If I had my druthers (and a bigger bank account) I'd happily move back to Long Beach. It's not for tourists, but I think of it as home.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I was thinking they would choose Cobb County near Sun Trust Park. From what I understand it's being promoted as business friendly.

The state I live in offered Amazon $7 billion in incentives, the highest of the 20 candidates, and it's still at the bottom of the list.

Here’s what some of the cities are bidding:

https://www.cnet.com/news/heres-what...mazon-for-hq2/
—-
“

Atlanta: Atlanta’s mayor, Kasim Reed, said the city would offer incentives and development that would be worth more than $1 billion. In Stonecrest, a Georgia city about 20 miles east of Atlanta, the mayor offered to rename it “Amazon” and instate Jeff Bezos as the permanent mayor.

Austin, Texas: Austin hasn’t publicly disclosed any type of tax incentive or break for Amazon. In its bid, the city decided to tout its culture, instead. The city’s mayor, Steve Adler, said it’s offering Amazon a chance to be the “social fabric and future” of Austin.

Boston: The city proposed an “Amazon Task Force” in its 109-page bid. It would essentially entail paid city staffers whose sole purpose is to represent Amazon’s interests to Boston’s government.

Chicago: The city offered $2 billion in tax breaks, and suggested it could go even higher than that.

Columbus, Ohio: The Midwestern city offered Amazon tax breaks for 15 years, including 100 percent property tax abatement, and a 35 percent income tax refund. These offers would save Amazon millions in taxes for more than a decade.

More at the source.
——

Chicago can offer up $2B and Newark $7B because the odds of Amazon buying their story are pretty low. But they do serve as good stalking horses for shaking down the true finalists buried in the list.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Chicago can offer up $2B and Newark $7B because the odds of Amazon buying their story are pretty low. But they do serve as good stalking horses for shaking down the true finalists buried in the list.

Yes, it'll be fun to watch. Plus, we have Apple as a bonus.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Yes, it'll be fun to watch. Plus, we have Apple as a bonus.

Unless I miss my guess, Apple is headed to the midwest or south east.
Columbus, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Nashville, maybe Jacksonville. A place that is the least California-ish as practical.

Amazon is doing the HQ2 thing because they have a lot of disparate businesses and span of control is getting to be an issue at the top. I suspect they are looking to a Roman empire solution.

[The Old Man]

Nashville is my bet.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Unless I miss my guess, Apple is headed to the midwest or south east.
Columbus, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Nashville, maybe Jacksonville. A place that is the least California-ish as practical.

Amazon is doing the HQ2 thing because they have a lot of disparate businesses and span of control is getting to be an issue at the top. I suspect they are looking to a Roman empire solution.

All good choices for Apple.

As far as Amazon, I imagine Seattle's new city income tax on earnings above $250k and the soon-to-be $15 minimum wage contributed toward the HQ2 decision although Amazon denies it (LOL).

[fjtorres]

The WP is deconstructing the "algorithm" that led to the short list:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/comp...TX0?li=BBnbfcN

I'm thinking they're overvaluing the first criterion and undervaluing the third. It shows up in the cities they think qualify but got left out.

If anything, business climate and quality of life issues outweigh the raw numbers they put so much weight on. Once a modern city exceeds the minimum critical mass for a metro area added growth is as much a minus as a plus, which is one of the points the critics of the contest raise: for many of the contenders, taking on the promised 50,000 employees (plus the feeder businesses that might follow) will stress the local infrastructure and might end up costing more than the added jobs are worth once the incentives are factored in.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.
(There's other criteria in play.)
Toronto and Philly might still sneak in.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Fbone

All good choices for Apple.

As far as Amazon, I imagine Seattle's new city income tax on earnings above $250k and the soon-to-be $15 minimum wage contributed toward the HQ2 decision although Amazon denies it (LOL).

You said Amazon needed to hire 50,000 new employees.
I see Seattle has a population of 704,000. Do you have any clue what an additional 200,000 people would do to the infrastructure?
50,000 employees +wives & kids. You have to consider each employee as 4 people.

I can tell you what increasing a population by 1/4 to 1/3 can do.
You will have not enough housing, overcrowded schools, massive rent jumps, property tax increases, overflowing street, more crime, shall I continue?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Fbone

All good choices for Apple.

As far as Amazon, I imagine Seattle's new city income tax on earnings above $250k and the soon-to-be $15 minimum wage contributed toward the HQ2 decision although Amazon denies it (LOL).

The city tax is unconstitutional at the state level and not a likely factor.
Nor is it the minimum wage an issue because Amazon isn't looking for a warehouse site but a corporate HQ. White collar jobs; powerpoint rangers and keyboard jockeys. I don't think the cost of janitorial services is going to weigh too heavily.
Otherwise, California would've made the list.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

You said Amazon needed to hire 50,000 new employees.
I see Seattle has a population of 704,000. Do you have any clue what an additional 200,000 people would do to the infrastructure?
50,000 employees +wives & kids. You have to consider each employee as 4 people.

I can tell you what increasing a population by 1/4 to 1/3 can do.
You will have not enough housing, overcrowded schools, massive rent jumps, property tax increases, overflowing street, more crime, shall I continue?

The majority wouldn't be living in Seattle itself, but rather the metro area which has 4 million people.