Amazon Looking For 2nd City to Open Secondary HQ (Seattle: university, income)

[UrbanAdventurer]

I've heard that NYC and New Jersey are very interested.

[Hacker1234]

TX is very backwards, I doubt they would go there.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer

I've heard that NYC and New Jersey are very interested.

NYC? Where would they squeeze it in? Where would they fit in the extra housing units for all the workers it would draw in? Would NYC office space even be affordable? Would Amazon be able to pay its workers enough to afford NYC rents? From a COL and cost of operating standpoint, someplace like Kansas City might make more sense. Atlanta?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

Surprised they haven't started outsourcing to India yet like the other tech firms around here.

SSHHH! AARGH! Now you've jinxed it!

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by GatsbyGatz

I think Austin or Chicago would be best. I agree that Denver seems too far West and seems like it would just end up competing too much with Seattle.

How would it end up competing? Two HQ's for the same company aren't going to be competing.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by Hacker1234

TX is very backwards, I doubt they would go there.

Are you serious? To be honest, Texas is probably one of the most innovative and economically prospering states in the country. Outside of Seattle, Bellevue and a few of the affluent Eastside cities, Washington is actually a poor and economically depressed state. Then again, as far as cities go, many could think Seattle is quite backward with how it is managed. Seriously, I spent half a year in Africa and have come to the conclusion that Kampala, Uganda and Accra, Ghana actually have better quality roads than the decaying streets in Seattle. It seems the Seattle City Council likes enriching itself on the high taxes it collects, but no matter how much they raise the taxes nothing ever seems to improve. Look at those wonderful toll lanes that made the state and city governments rich, but did not improve commute times for the wealthy elite who could afford to use them.

A good deal of multi-national corporations are in Texas. Texas has more influence over our country's economy than so-called progressive, forward thinkers like yourself will want to give it credit.

[mhays25]

Companies that want "cheap" often go to Texas. Companies that want to hire the best and brightest from around the world tend to go to the high-priced coastal cities.

If Amazon wants the "anti-Seattle" so it can recruit people who won't come here, maybe a sprawlier or conservative area will have a chance. But I suspect Chicago is closer to what they're looking for...urban city, room to grow, good transit, would love to have the company, etc.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by mhays25

Companies that want "cheap" often go to Texas. Companies that want to hire the best and brightest from around the world tend to go to the high-priced coastal cities.

Bologne

Originally Posted by mhays25

If Amazon wants the "anti-Seattle" so it can recruit people who won't come here, maybe a sprawlier or conservative area will have a chance. But I suspect Chicago is closer to what they're looking for...urban city, room to grow, good transit, would love to have the company, etc.

Chicago is actually cheaper than most Texan major cities, so moving to Chicago may be a good move financially, but Bezos, being a libertarian I think has some bad feelings about the anti-business mindset present in Illinois's government. Of course, Chicago wins hands down for logistics and that alone could be a major factor. Although, Texas is a bit out of the way, but still a very intelligent choice logistically.

As far as Texas being "Cheap", Texas has some of the most innovative IT companies and top developers in the world. You are living back in the 90s when Texas had its tech boom and rents were cheap. In fact, Austin is now a major tech mecca and is becoming one of the most expensive cities in the country and not so far behind Seattle. However, Austin has one thing going for it and that is a very business friendly state government and is the reason why so many multi-national corporations have their headquarters in Texas or have major operations located there.

Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is now being called the "Silicon Prairie" for a reason. It would not shock me if Amazon moved its new HQ to the Dallas area. Bezos also is a native Texan, contrary to many people thinking he is a Seattle native.

It looks like Seattle and Washington city government is scrambling to keep Bezos from leaving much in the same way the anti-business, communist government scrambled to keep Phil Knight in Oregon after he threatened to depart from Beaverton HQ. It's funny how these Socialist/Anti-Business/Anti-Corporate governments suddenly bend all their rules and make accommodations for these big mega corporations once they threaten to leave. Ironically, all this happened after Seattle said they would be implementing a 2% income tax, which would take a big chunk of Amazon's profits.

Amazon could have very easily opened extension campuses in Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, etc like many other tech companies but Bezos obviously has qualms with the state of Washington, which is why he was talking about opening his 2nd headquarters, elsewhere.

[mhays25]

My point generalized. But it's still true in as a generalization.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

Are you serious? To be honest, Texas is probably one of the most innovative and economically prospering states in the country. Outside of Seattle, Bellevue and a few of the affluent Eastside cities, Washington is actually a poor and economically depressed state. Then again, as far as cities go, many could think Seattle is quite backward with how it is managed. Seriously, I spent half a year in Africa and have come to the conclusion that Kampala, Uganda and Accra, Ghana actually have better quality roads than the decaying streets in Seattle. It seems the Seattle City Council likes enriching itself on the high taxes it collects, but no matter how much they raise the taxes nothing ever seems to improve. Look at those wonderful toll lanes that made the state and city governments rich, but did not improve commute times for the wealthy elite who could afford to use them.

A good deal of multi-national corporations are in Texas. Texas has more influence over our country's economy than so-called progressive, forward thinkers like yourself will want to give it credit.

WA is not a poor, economically depressed state. Go to New Mexico or Mississippi to see "poor, economically depressed" in an American context. WA is doing alright.