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The New York City Council is holding its second hearing to question the city and state contract that gave Amazon $ 3 billion for the transfer of a second seat in Long Island City in Queens. City council members criticized Amazon for its anti-union policies and alleged cooperation with immigration authorities.
Faced with protests from Gianaris, other New York politicians and neighborhood militants, Amazon decided Thursday not to build a portion of its so-called QG2 in Long Island City. The company has announced that it will continue to build its planned headquarters in Virginia and its other planned site in Nashville, Tennessee.
"Although polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investments, a number of local and national politicians have made it clear that they are opposed to our presence and will not work with us." to establish the kind of relationships needed to go forward with the project envisioned by us and many others in Long Island City, "said Amazon in a statement released Thursday.
All New York Democrats were not against this agreement. US Representative Carolyn Maloney, whose congressional district includes Long Island City, said Friday during an interview given to CNBC that she was disappointed with the withdrawal of Amazon. "It's a terrible loss for the city's economy and jobs for its inhabitants."
Maloney, senior official of the Joint Economic Committee on Capitol Hill, said the $ 3 billion in grants to Amazon would only materialize if the company kept its promises on job creation and other economic development indicators . It's not because Amazon is gone that another $ 3 billion can be spent elsewhere, she added. "There is no money if Amazon does not come to New York.There is not much money."
Gianaris is opposed to the incentives offered by the city to seal the deal. "When Amazon does not need money press the government for billions of dollars just to show up, we have a problem."
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representing the region close to the once-planned headquarters of Amazon, perceived the company's move as a positive sign, saying that "dedicated New Yorkers everyday" [and] their neighbors have conquered the greed of Amazon companies. "
Maloney said she hoped the city could return to the Amazon to try to get her to reconsider, as the city needed to diversify its economy and technology could be a key factor. "We are excessively dependent on business services and financial services."
– CNBC
Matthew Belvedere
contributed to this report.
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