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October 19th was the deadline to submit bids to become the host city for Amazon's second headquarters. 238 proposals were submitted:
Amazon.com Inc's $5 billion second headquarters and its promise of up to 50,000 jobs attracted 238 proposals from 54 states, provinces and districts in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the company said on Monday.
Regions and cities in 43 U.S. states from Maine to Alaska, as well as Washington, D.C., submitted bids by the Oct. 19 deadline, Amazon said. The states that did not bid were Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
Canadian bids came from the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. Mexican bids emanated from the states of Chihuahua, Hidalgo and Queretaro. Other bidders included Puerto Rico, which is struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria and is in the process of restructuring its sagging finances in court.
Details of the bids, including tax breaks and other incentives being offered to entice the internet retailer, were scarce as some bidders cited competitive reasons or nondisclosure policies.
New Jersey offered $7 billion in tax credits for a Newark headquarters, while Chicago offered $2.25 billion of incentives, including tax credits, property tax breaks, $450 million in infrastructure improvements, $250 million in "Neighborhood Opportunity Funds", and potentially free land. The mayor of Stonecrest, an Atlanta suburb, offered 345 acres of industrial land on which a new city called Amazon could be built, with Jeff Bezos as mayor-for-life.
Also at First Post, NYT, and the Chicago Tribune.
Previously: Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Second HQ Outside of Seattle
Cities Desperate to Become the Location of Amazon's "Second Headquarters"
Is A Mega-Deal Like Amazon's HQ2 Always Worth It?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Thexalon on Tuesday October 24 2017, @05:47PM (3 children)
Unemployment rates in each of the states under discussion:
Hawaii: 2.5%
Montana: 3.9%
Wyoming: 4.0%
North Dakota: 2.4%
South Dakota: 3.4%
Vermont: 2.9%
Arkansas: 3.5%
Now, that's not industry-specific numbers, but the claim that there are "no jobs" in these states seems to be questionable when they're all below the national average.
And I can't speak for the other states, but I've spent a lot of time in Vermont and know quite a few Vermonters, and the idea that it's some sort of wasteland couldn't be further from the truth. One reason they're likely to have not put in a bid is that their government has approximately zero reason to grovel before Amazon. Their cities and towns are generally quite lovely and have the businesses they need and want, thank you very much. Also worth mentioning is that poverty rates are quite low overall outside of the area known as the "northeast kingdom" very close to the borders with Canada and New Hampshire, and even there it's not too bad. Or, you can take as a basic indication that when New Yorkers want to get away for a week, they often go to Vermont.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @07:07PM
There are 4 qualifications in no particular order.
1) decent sized city 1M plus
2) decent sized airport already there
3) decent supply of tech schools
4) tax incentives
My top picks are Boston, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Minneapolis, with distant maybes of Raleigh, Atlanta or Vegas. Basically former IBM research sites. As IBM has basically bailed out and turned itself into a consulting company.
That list you have probably will not be close because of the very reasons the gp said. Lack of tech people and schools. Seattle had a home grown one of former microsofties. Amazon is boxed in by Seattle. It has been obvious for a couple of years now. That would be one reason to cross Boston and Chicago off. They are already 'full' as it were. You need a city area that can handle 120-200k more people (not just the 50k workers).
My second guess is by the time the paint is just getting dry on the walls of the new building they move again.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @07:14PM (1 child)
Not to belittle your basic point, but since Slick Willie changed the way that "unemployed" people are counted (especially in a depression that has lasted for a decade), the "unemployment rate" has become yet another useless gov't number. [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [shadowstats.com]
The Labor Non-Participation Rate is what used to be called the Unemployment Rate and is much more useful.
The "new and improved" method doesn't even get the trend correct. [shadowstats.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @09:01PM
I guess the only goal is to keep the graft train running as long as possible, the fact that an ever increasing number of citizens realize what is going on seems to not matter. I mean really, who fucks with unemployment stats just to keep people pacified? It is only kicking the problem down the road which inevitably makes it so much worse.