New York City Council Members and furious residents ripped Amazon executives during a high-stakes meeting in the Big Apple this week; blasting the massive tax breaks given by the city and state governments.
“The council members, who have no vote on the project and no apparent path to block it, demanded to know why the city and New York state were offering Amazon up to $2.8 billion in tax breaks and grants to build the new headquarters in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens,” writes Fox 5.
“We have a crumbling subway system, record homelessness, public housing that is in crisis, overcrowded schools, sick people without health insurance and an escalating affordable crisis,” said Democrat City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “Is anyone asking if we should be giving nearly $3 billion in public money to the world’s richest company, valued at $1 trillion?”
Amazon executives told the crowd the new project would have a “positive economic impact” of $186 billion over a 25-year period.
Read the full report here.
BAD APPLES: Cuomo, De Blasio UNDER FIRE for $1.5 BILLION in Amazon Kickbacks
Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio found themselves in hot-water this week with Big Apple residents “furious” after they discovered the two leaders agreed to $1.5 billion in taxpayer subsidies for Amazon’s new headquarters in the borough of Queens.
The prominent Democrats were accused of an “immoral waste of taxpayers’ money” as a growing number of constituents griped over the massive kickbacks as the city’s infrastructure continues to age and crumble.
Rallying with @SenGianaris, @RWDSU, @nychange, @ALIGNny, & @MaketheRoadNY to protest #AmazonHQ2 coming to #LIC & to say NO to corporate welfare for the richest man in the world. pic.twitter.com/pElSFzz9Oo
— Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) November 14, 2018
“I think if the takeaway from the recent election in Queens, New York City and nationally is that we should actually step up corporate subsidies and billionaires getting billion-dollar bailouts — if that’s the takeaway, somebody’s not got their fingers on the pulse of Democrats, certainly, but people generally in this country,” New York City council member Jimmy Van Bramer.
BERNIE VS BEZOS: Sen. Sanders ROASTS AMAZON Over ‘DEMANDING’ Working Conditions
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders unloaded on Amazon owner Jeff Bezos Tuesday, releasing a scathing statement that slammed the corporation’s “demanding working conditions” and asked employees to share their stories on his website.
Sanders -who just this week blasted Disneyland for refusing to raise their minimum wage- blind-sided Bezos on social media, posting “Amazon is one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, and its owner, Jeff Bezos, is the richest man on the planet, worth over $155 billion.”
“Despite this, Bezos continues to pay many thousands of his Amazon employees wages that are so low that they are forced to depend on taxpayer-funded programs such as food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing to survive,” added the statement.
Are you a current or former Amazon employee? Please share your experiences with Sen. Bernie Sanders. https://t.co/fQzm3SuyXA
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 28, 2018
“Amazon is proud to have created over 130,000 new jobs last year alone. These are good jobs with highly competitive pay and full benefits,” added an Amazon spokesperson.
h/t The Hill
Thank you for visiting