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Her district literally borders LIC. You truly, genuinely believe that all the gentrifiers wouldn't cross an imaginary line in the ground and start living in AOC's Congressional District? Tons of people and families who voted for AOC would likely not be able to live in the district anymore and many would likely be evicted. I'd say she knew what she was doing by voicing her concerns for her current constituents--the ones who voted her into office in 2018. You can disagree with her, but if she gets re-elected in 2020, clearly her constituents agree with her and that's all that matters at the end of the day. If you don't live in Amazons district, your opinion on what's best for Amazons district is irrelevant.
And no, you're still wrong. AOC was vocal against Amazon moving to the district bordering hers because it would not benefit her district at all. In her opinion, she did what was best for her district. If they agree that what she did was proper, they'll re-elect her in 2020. I agree with her viewpoint, but our opinions are irrelevant to the conversation. You can't tell her to keep her mouth shut when it would have significant impacts on her district for the people who actually voted for her.
And no, you're still wrong. AOC was vocal against Amazon moving to the district bordering hers because it would not benefit her district at all. In her opinion, she did what was best for her district. If they agree that what she did was proper, they'll re-elect her in 2020. I agree with her viewpoint, but our opinions are irrelevant to the conversation. You can't tell her to keep her mouth shut when it would have significant impacts on her district for the people who actually voted for her.
I know some analysts who crunched the numbers and found that we actually lost 125,000 jobs from Amazon not coming here - and that's because of all the industry and jobs that would have surfaced had Amazon come. These jobs range from restaurant workers, doormen, cashiers, medical office receptionists, cleaners, teachers, etc. So she is wrong, and she did harm the district bordering hers (I'm in that district).
I know some analysts who crunched the numbers and found that we actually lost 125,000 jobs from Amazon not coming here - and that's because of all the industry and jobs that would have surfaced had Amazon come. These jobs range from restaurant workers, doormen, cashiers, medical office receptionists, cleaners, teachers, etc. So she is wrong, and she did harm the district bordering hers (I'm in that district).
I'd genuinely be interested in reading an impartial report if you could provide a link(s).
I'd genuinely be interested in reading an impartial report if you could provide a link(s).
It wasn't published. Just a couple friends/analysts from Google and Brookings that put their heads together at dinner one night. But putting aside what exact number of jobs may have been lost (in this case they came up with 125,000), it's just common sense that a huge amount of industry would have sprouted up in LIC and surrounding areas to support such a huge employer like Amazon. And many of those jobs would not be for the high income earning "elite" or whoever AOC thinks is not among her constituents.
I also forgot to mention all the construction jobs that are lost - not just for Amazon buildings, but all the other supporting businesses.
I should mention also that neither of these people (analysts) I know live in the NYC area so they had no skin in the game.
It wasn't published. Just a couple friends/analysts from Google and Brookings that put their heads together at dinner one night. But putting aside what exact number of jobs may have been lost (in this case they came up with 125,000), it's just common sense that a huge amount of industry would have sprouted up in LIC and surrounding areas to support such a huge employer like Amazon. And many of those jobs would not be for the high income earning "elite" or whoever AOC thinks is not among her constituents.
I also forgot to mention all the construction jobs that are lost - not just for Amazon buildings, but all the other supporting businesses.
I should mention also that neither of these people (analysts) I know live in the NYC area so they had no skin in the game.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but that doesn't seem like a very official study if there is basically or literally nothing published regarding their findings.
The working-class jobs it would have brought to the area would still likely pale in comparison to the skyrocketing COL in the surrounding area, including AOC's district. And the makeup of the entire district would change extremely rapidly. Small businesses and immigrant neighborhoods may not have survived if Amazon opened up literally one neighborhood away. Yes, many of the people in those neighborhoods may have found work in/around Amazon and the supporting businesses for the new employees, but it's highly unlikely they'd be able to remain in the neighborhood. I think as a representative her district, AOC had a right to fight outside forces that would drastically change the district.
That said, there is still plenty of economy in the NYC area. NYC did not need Amazon the way other cities did. I.e. it would've done wonders for Newark's future and really put it on the map. OTOH, Amazon's arrival in LIC likely wouldn't have had the same positive and overwhelming effect on the overall economy, yet it would've had drastic effects on the QOL in AOC's district.
And, even if, hypothetically, AOC's district and all of NYC and the Tri-State lost out on some massive economic benefit, she was elected on very specific platforms. Prostituting herself out the way Cuomo did would've been the opposite of everything she champions. Additionally, as a brand, Amazon has quite heavy connotations: Bezos barely pays anything in taxes; Amazon barely pays anything in taxes; Amazon would receive a giant government handout even while paying very little in taxes; Amazon is extremely anti-union and working conditions will never improve until its employees unionize; etc. On the principle, maybe if Amazon and Bezos weren't actually so bad, more people would've been in favor of this. I, for one, don't know a single person who actually wanted Amazon to move into NYC. I know it would've generated more taxes than was given to it, but as a principle, I don't think a single dime of taxpayer money should be going to any corporation or wealthy individual until they all pay their fair shares. Additionally, nobody should be allowing the expansion of such an anti-union corporation anywhere.
You can disagree with me on all of what I just said above. However, if you believe AOC's constituents would've been employed in some capacity by Amazon, just remember she was elected as a progressive pro-union candidate looking out for the disenfranchised minorities and to take on big businesses who use laissez fare capitalism to exploit everyone standing in their way. Amazon receiving a giant tax subsidy is pretty hypocritical. And at the end of the day, she did what she said she would do. We'll see if voters like that in 2020.
Oh and never take job advice from a socialist, or a former bartender...
In late April, a group of New York City construction workers, inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s vision for a Green New Deal, voted to form one of the first unions in the solar energy industry. On Monday, their employer Bright Power fired its entire in-house construction crew and announced that those workers, in the midst of negotiations for their first contract, would be replaced with subcontractors https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/e...they-unionized
I'm not saying you're wrong, but that doesn't seem like a very official study if there is basically or literally nothing published regarding their findings.
The working-class jobs it would have brought to the area would still likely pale in comparison to the skyrocketing COL in the surrounding area, including AOC's district. And the makeup of the entire district would change extremely rapidly. Small businesses and immigrant neighborhoods may not have survived if Amazon opened up literally one neighborhood away. Yes, many of the people in those neighborhoods may have found work in/around Amazon and the supporting businesses for the new employees, but it's highly unlikely they'd be able to remain in the neighborhood. I think as a representative her district, AOC had a right to fight outside forces that would drastically change the district.
That said, there is still plenty of economy in the NYC area. NYC did not need Amazon the way other cities did. I.e. it would've done wonders for Newark's future and really put it on the map. OTOH, Amazon's arrival in LIC likely wouldn't have had the same positive and overwhelming effect on the overall economy, yet it would've had drastic effects on the QOL in AOC's district.
And, even if, hypothetically, AOC's district and all of NYC and the Tri-State lost out on some massive economic benefit, she was elected on very specific platforms. Prostituting herself out the way Cuomo did would've been the opposite of everything she champions. Additionally, as a brand, Amazon has quite heavy connotations: Bezos barely pays anything in taxes; Amazon barely pays anything in taxes; Amazon would receive a giant government handout even while paying very little in taxes; Amazon is extremely anti-union and working conditions will never improve until its employees unionize; etc. On the principle, maybe if Amazon and Bezos weren't actually so bad, more people would've been in favor of this. I, for one, don't know a single person who actually wanted Amazon to move into NYC. I know it would've generated more taxes than was given to it, but as a principle, I don't think a single dime of taxpayer money should be going to any corporation or wealthy individual until they all pay their fair shares. Additionally, nobody should be allowing the expansion of such an anti-union corporation anywhere.
You can disagree with me on all of what I just said above. However, if you believe AOC's constituents would've been employed in some capacity by Amazon, just remember she was elected as a progressive pro-union candidate looking out for the disenfranchised minorities and to take on big businesses who use laissez fare capitalism to exploit everyone standing in their way. Amazon receiving a giant tax subsidy is pretty hypocritical. And at the end of the day, she did what she said she would do. We'll see if voters like that in 2020.
Do you live in a bubble? I knew many who were opposed and for it.
Oh and never take job advice from a socialist, or a former bartender...
In late April, a group of New York City construction workers, inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s vision for a Green New Deal, voted to form one of the first unions in the solar energy industry. On Monday, their employer Bright Power fired its entire in-house construction crew and announced that those workers, in the midst of negotiations for their first contract, would be replaced with subcontractors https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/e...they-unionized
Lol so if someone bartended their way through college, we have to automatically disregard everything they say? That's so inherently ignorant idek know how to respond to you except you need to grow up.
Also, all that article proves is that we need stronger pro-union legislation nationwide. There need to be laws that prohibit such actions because without unions, the middle class doesn't prosper. "Right to work" needs to be renamed "Right to work for less money" because that's all those laws do.
Ok the bartender crack was unnecessary, but I will not back down from socialist one.
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