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>What’s wrong with tax breaks? It’s like people are under the impression that the government is actually paying Amazon. What do you think a tax break is? >If

>What’s wrong with tax breaks? It’s like people are under the impression that the government is actually paying Amazon. What do you think a tax break is? >If Amazon didn’t get any tax breaks, they would have gone somewhere else. If the cost of upgrading the city infrastructure to handle the new influx of people (and other associated costs) is higher than the income from Amazon, it's a bad deal for the city.

moate 8y ago
Also: >If Amazon didn’t get any tax breaks, they would have gone somewhere else. No. No they wouldn't. The tax breaks are only part of the equation. If it was only about money, other locations offered more. New York is arguable one of the 3 most important cities on the planet, and pretending that multinational business scoff at it unless they get paid to bring their businesses into town is laughable.
- moorhosj 8y ago
  ==No. No they wouldn’t== You don’t know this to be true, at all. If the tax breaks didn’t matter and it was always going to be NYC, Amazon likely wouldn’t have conducted the whole dog and pony show in the first place. In reality, NYC has a huge talent base which is enticing to Amazon; they also offered significant tax incentives, which is enticing to Amazon. Both can be true.
  - moate 8y ago
    Or one can be true and not the other. I will agree that neither of us know WTF was going on in the Amazon meetings that decided where to go. I will concede that I jumped the gun in speaking in an absolute. It's entirely possible the tax breaks or lack there of would have affected their decision, but because NYC offers things very few other cities on the planet can offer in regards to both human capital as well as other amenities it's also possible that it was a cherry on top and not the sundae itself.
mruts 8y ago
A tax break is Amazon paying less, not the government paying them. That’s a pretty big distinction, don’t you think?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

moate 8y ago

Also: >If Amazon didn’t get any tax breaks, they would have gone somewhere else. No. No they wouldn't. The tax breaks are only part of the equation. If it was only about money, other locations offered more. New York is arguable one of the 3 most important cities on the planet, and pretending that multinational business scoff at it unless they get paid to bring their businesses into town is laughable.

moorhosj 8y ago
==No. No they wouldn’t== You don’t know this to be true, at all. If the tax breaks didn’t matter and it was always going to be NYC, Amazon likely wouldn’t have conducted the whole dog and pony show in the first place. In reality, NYC has a huge talent base which is enticing to Amazon; they also offered significant tax incentives, which is enticing to Amazon. Both can be true.
- moate 8y ago
  Or one can be true and not the other. I will agree that neither of us know WTF was going on in the Amazon meetings that decided where to go. I will concede that I jumped the gun in speaking in an absolute. It's entirely possible the tax breaks or lack there of would have affected their decision, but because NYC offers things very few other cities on the planet can offer in regards to both human capital as well as other amenities it's also possible that it was a cherry on top and not the sundae itself.

mruts 8y ago

A tax break is Amazon paying less, not the government paying them. That’s a pretty big distinction, don’t you think?

deleted 8y ago
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