Could Atlanta be in the running for second Amazon headquarters? (agreement, news)

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Libertarians are always the first people to tell you they are Libertarians.

Normally in response to some random and wrongheaded accusation regarding their alleged political leanings.
If not for being pigeonholed as a Republican for an opinion I offered on an isolated issue, I doubt the subject would even come up.

[CaliDreaming01]

Originally Posted by Moosehd

As long as he shuts up this will blow over and everyone will forget about it like they did when the airport lost power. I don't think this really matters to Amazon. They should know politics is being player and I think they are more worried about other things that are important to them like a city with lots of IT workers, a site near transit and other much more important stuff

Originally Posted by earthlyfather

Something tells me that Mr Bezos and his executive team have a much longer, not to mention bigger view of where Amazon is going. Something like this is transient, of the political cloth and much as the gnat is to an elephant's butt.

Willie said it best, Much ado about nothing.

I agree with you both to an extent. If they were seriously considering Atlanta before, the recent GOP antics won't stop them. They've done stuff like this before but always end up course correcting before doing irrevocable damage. Not that it doesn't hurt, but I just think that happens more gradually rather than in a kneejerk fashion.

Also, I think any corporation would look at the state's long-term political climate, and GA turning blue is imminent and inevitable, given dramatic demographic shifts.

[jhtrico1850]

https://politics.myajc.com/news/stat...PMtepI0yEw7DM/


“I already felt it would be a terrible cultural mismatch for a company with a Seattle culture to locate anywhere in the South. This nails it,” said Jon Gabrielsen, who runs a Smyrna-based business consultancy that specializes in market research for growing companies.

“Georgia and Alabama don’t have a clue how foreign and disturbing these antics play to the rest of the nation outside the Deep South — and how it can impact their ability to recruit businesses,” Gabrielsen said.

Larry Gellerstedt, the CEO of Cousins Properties, said it’s “naive” to think the Gold Dome debate won’t influence Amazon’s search.

“We’re going to start punishing companies by stances that they take about their company values? These things get noticed,” he said. “They get absolutely included in the dialogue for competing cities and states to use.”

[CaliDreaming01]

Originally Posted by jhtrico1850

https://politics.myajc.com/news/stat...PMtepI0yEw7DM/


“I already felt it would be a terrible cultural mismatch for a company with a Seattle culture to locate anywhere in the South. This nails it,” said Jon Gabrielsen, who runs a Smyrna-based business consultancy that specializes in market research for growing companies.

“Georgia and Alabama don’t have a clue how foreign and disturbing these antics play to the rest of the nation outside the Deep South — and how it can impact their ability to recruit businesses,” Gabrielsen said.

Larry Gellerstedt, the CEO of Cousins Properties, said it’s “naive” to think the Gold Dome debate won’t influence Amazon’s search.

“We’re going to start punishing companies by stances that they take about their company values? These things get noticed,” he said. “They get absolutely included in the dialogue for competing cities and states to use.”

"I don't think it helps us," Gov. Nathan Deal conceded during a press conference where he lashed out at election-year "antics" that made Georgia the butt of jokes on late-night television.

"But I would say this to Amazon and to anyone else who wants to look at our state and see what has happened in the General Assembly," Deal said. "Look at our record."

I agree with Gov. Deal. Our GOP didn't just start doing this kind of stuff yesterday. They've been doing it for nearly 20 years now. But when push comes to shove, somehow the position palatable to the business community always wins out. Remember when the Confederate battle flag was incorporated in our state flag a few years back? Quickly nixed when the NCAA threatened to pull out of GA for Final Four games despite the loud howls of the conservative base. And that was before GA was anywhere close to having the demographics to pull off Democratic victories. It's all a dog-and-pony show to keep their base placated.

Now if it seems that GOP establishment has lost control over the whole charade, then I think you would start to see businesses leaving. But what's happening now is nothing new--other than the fact that the Democratic/moderate GOP voters are starting to sense their strength and flex their muscle.

So I don't think the danger for the GOP is in businesses leaving, but in awaking the sleeping tiger (GA Democratic voters). If they go too far, maybe we could see some big Democratic upsets in this state. If it happened in AL, it certainly could happen here.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Yeaaahhhh...that's like deliberately cutting off a toe and bragging about your quirky foot!

I know, I know. Just trying to think of a way to make us less of a laughingstock.

I'm sure all our competitors are up in their respective Laughing Rooms.

[-thomass]

Originally Posted by jhtrico1850

https://politics.myajc.com/news/stat...PMtepI0yEw7DM/


“I already felt it would be a terrible cultural mismatch for a company with a Seattle culture to locate anywhere in the South. This nails it,” said Jon Gabrielsen, who runs a Smyrna-based business consultancy that specializes in market research for growing companies.

“Georgia and Alabama don’t have a clue how foreign and disturbing these antics play to the rest of the nation outside the Deep South — and how it can impact their ability to recruit businesses,” Gabrielsen said.

Larry Gellerstedt, the CEO of Cousins Properties, said it’s “naive” to think the Gold Dome debate won’t influence Amazon’s search.

“We’re going to start punishing companies by stances that they take about their company values? These things get noticed,” he said. “They get absolutely included in the dialogue for competing cities and states to use.”

Should be comparing Seattle to Atlanta, not Seattle to GA (as a cultural comparison) I get his opinion, but Georgia is also home to the third most fortunate 500 companies. It’s all about the business environment, which Cagle decided to attack. Money talks. The movie industry didn’t move here because they align culturally with Georgia.

Whoever is advising Cagle is giving horrible advise.

[brown_dog_us]

Amazon is considering ATL because of it's low COL and desirable lifestyle. That's it. Amazon has never been a conscientious company, and won't start to be with awarding their HQ2.

They might grandstand after making the decision for some free positive publicity, but it's just grandstanding.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

Amazon is considering ATL because of it's low COL and desirable lifestyle. That's it. Amazon has never been a conscientious company, and won't start to be with awarding their HQ2.

They might grandstand after making the decision for some free positive publicity, but it's just grandstanding.

And the workforce...and the airport...and the universities.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by CaliDreaming01

"But I would say this to Amazon and to anyone else who wants to look at our state and see what has happened in the General Assembly," Deal said. "Look at our record."

Yes and our record now includes a $40 million dollar punishment enacted by the legislature for a company's political values being different than they would prefer.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

Yes and our record now includes a $40 million dollar punishment enacted by the legislature for a company's political values being different than they would prefer.

Gov. Deal said he would seek a way to get Delta their tax cut and I think it will happen.