Rick Scott flirts with Amazon in the hope of attracting HQ2 to the south

RFlorida Republican Senator Rick Scott launched his first public campaign for Amazon to build his second home in the Sunshine State after the company abandoned its projects in New York.

In a letter sent Friday to the director general of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, the governor turned senator made separate comparisons between Florida and the Empire State, touting his low taxes and his simpler regulatory regime.

"Politicians like MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Governor Andrew Cuomo's governors hinder businesses like Amazon, and the policies they support – higher taxes, stricter regulations, and anti-business attitudes – create such a cold business climate. Unfortunately, the hardest hit are families in New York, "Scott said in his letter.

[[[[Related: New York's political machine gives Amazon buyer's remorse

Newly elected representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Was one of the most outspoken opponents of Amazon's planned arrival in New York. His opposition, centered on the fiscal incentives that the state and New York City were willing to offer Amazon, rallied the progressive flank of local Democrats. Local businesses and suppliers have begun to signal to Amazon that they would not be doing business with the retail giant.

The plan called for the creation of 25,000 new jobs over a decade with an average salary of $ 150,000, as well as investments in local transportation and infrastructure.

Scott does not like to let this kind of opportunity in Florida.

"Do not let anti-business leaders in New York crack down on your efforts to develop and create jobs and opportunities for thousands of hard-working Americans." Bring QG2 to a state that values ​​and respects the work you do, Florida. "

Miami was one of the contenders on Amazon's list of candidates before the company announced its move to New York and Virginia in late 2018. In its bid, the city touted its proximity to the Latin American markets – an area that Amazon is looking to penetrate – and its pipeline of universities around the state.

Over the last decade, Florida has positioned itself as a technological state, ranging from educational reforms integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics to all academic levels with incentives. offered to medical technology companies to settle in that state.