Kirsten Gillibrand Denounces Financial Incentives Leading to Amazon's Headquarters in Queens 2

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (DN.Y.) joined Wednesday with increasingly critical voices criticizing Amazon's decision to build one of two new giant corporate campuses in New York City. New York.

The Democratic legislator has criticized the heavy financial incentives that have probably played a major role in the transfer of the ecommerce company to Long Island City in Queens, an area already struggling with rising real estate prices and rapid gentrification.

"While I am pleased that Amazon recognizes the fact that Queens is a great place to do business, I am concerned about the lack of community involvement and the incentives Amazon has received to convince them to create these jobs in the US. New York, "said Gillibrand tweeted Wednesday.

She continued, "One of the richest companies in history should not receive taxpayer support while too many New York families are struggling to make ends meet."

Amazon announced Tuesday that they have chosen New York and Arlington, Virginia, as the location of its new headquarters after a highly competitive competition lasting more than a year that began with 238 candidate cities. Its headquarters are located in Seattle.

The company announced plans to create more than 50,000 jobs at the two new headquarters sites, with more than 25,000 employees in New York and Arlington.

But new jobs come at a price. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), agreed to grant a $ 1.5 billion tax credit , including a taxpayer funded helicopter platform.

Local leaders and residents of Queens demonstrated Wednesday in front of the future headquarters site, asking Amazon to invest in the city's affordable housing system and overcrowded metro.

Although the vast majority of New York officials signed a letter in October 2017 inviting Amazon to build its new headquarters in the city, many have criticized the agreement reached since its public revelation Tuesday.

Elected representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D), who will represent parts of Queens and the Bronx when she will be sworn in in January, tore up the controversial deal Monday on a Twitter feed.

She is one of the few elected officials in the city not to sign the letter, which preceded her victory in June at the Democratic primary of the 14th Congressional District of New York.

"Amazon is a billion dollar company," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Monday. "The idea of ​​benefiting from hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks as our metro collapses and our communities need MORE investment, not less, worries residents immensely." d & # 39; here. "