Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez planted herself in the middle of another firestorm as she was slammed for what was seen as a “misleading” tweet about Amazon.
The New York Democrat reacted to Amazon’s announcement that it would be moving into office space in Manhattan by posting a snarky comment and noting the tech giant would not be receiving any financial incentives from New York’s local or state government.
“Won’t you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway – *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, helipad handouts for Jeff Bezos, & corporate giveaways,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Friday. “Maybe the Trump admin should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families.”
Won’t you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway – *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, helipad handouts for Jeff Bezos, & corporate giveaways.
Maybe the Trump admin should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families. https://t.co/BbqhXbB9MM
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 6, 2019
The move by the company to lease a 335,000 square-foot space on Manhattan’s West Side will reportedly provide jobs for 1,500 employees, and without giving Amazon any financial incentives or tax credits.
Ocasio-Cortez came under heavy fire last year after she launched a war against the company which was planning to open another headquarters in New York City. After protests from the left and attacks from the freshman congresswoman about the $3 billion in state and local subsidies the company was being offered, Amazon backed out of the deal that would have brought 25,000 jobs to the city.
The new space in New York’s Hudson Yards will be for Amazon’s consumer and advertising teams and is set to open in 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“As we shared earlier this year, we plan to continue to hire and grow organically across our 18 Tech Hubs, including New York City,” an Amazon spokesperson told CBS New York in a statement.
News about Amazon’s intentions in the summer provoked a kind of ‘I-told-you-so’ tweet from Ocasio-Cortez.
Well, just as we said, Amazon quietly came to NYC without needing a dime of public money or special tax treatment.
The jobs came without the cost.
NYC is an attractive place to locate on its own (incl. public infra!), w/o billions of dollars in corporate giveaway “incentives.” https://t.co/dOXWljLHcO
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 11, 2019
The news on Friday about Amazon’s latest office lease gave Ocasio-Cortez an opportunity to gloat as she added another tweet with a photo captioned, “Me waiting on the haters to apologize after we were proven right on Amazon and saved the public billions.”
Me waiting on the haters to apologize after we were proven right on Amazon and saved the public billions https://t.co/AC64pG0nZI pic.twitter.com/xzCepkX4AV
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 6, 2019
The progressive congresswoman, who many blamed for costing New York City thousands of jobs, was slammed on social media for her premature “victory lap.”
The Daily Caller’s Peter Hasson called out her “misleading tweet.
Another day, another viral misleading tweet from AOC. Amazon is leasing office space in Manhattan for 1,500 employees, which is 6% of the 25,000 jobs its HQ2 in Queens (her district) was supposed to add. https://t.co/aQM6Uv77Qx
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) December 6, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez fired back, telling him he “should know better.”
You should know better. That 25k number was an unsubstantiated #, not a year 1 hiring figure. Nor was it a promise backed w/ consequences if it wasn’t met.
1,500 jobs off the bat is huge, & a much better deal than paying billions for a fairy tale that would’ve displaced many.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 7, 2019
Others piled on her trolling of Amazon with a reality check.
AOC could have had 25,000 jobs in her district from Amazon, but now, Amazon is only offering 1,500 jobs using rental space OUTSIDE her district.
She’s taking a victory lap for a 94% loss in jobs in NYC and 25,000 job loss in her district.
Socialist logic is incredible. https://t.co/11EDDEJpCR
— Caleb Hull ??? (@CalebJHull) December 7, 2019
Amazon is now going to create just 6% of the jobs they would’ve before AOC killed their deal with NYC (1,500 vs 25,000), but by all means take a victory lap for the 23,500 jobs that are never coming to NYC thanks to AOC. https://t.co/Ix35LwKJ9w
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) December 7, 2019
The Amazon at the Queens location would have employed 25,000 workers, this location at Hudson Yards will hire 1,500. https://t.co/9D6MBK3eLA
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) December 6, 2019
The original deal would have created 25,000 jobs. This one creates 1,500…..
What kind of math do they teach in New York??— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) December 7, 2019
The epitome of liberal smugness and arrogance . Amazon is bringing 1500 jobs to NYC … HQ would of been 25k high paying jobs.
So she thinks she was right to kill the HQ deal …
Anybody that listens to her is a moron https://t.co/er1PrwGZ8B
— Make L.A Great Again ?? (@GuiltyHonkey) December 7, 2019
It’s incredible how dumb your followers are and how they’re praising you for this.
Amazon was initially offering 25,000 jobs in YOUR DISTRICT to now only offering 1,500 jobs OUTSIDE your district.
Meaning you caused 94% job loss in NYC.
— Caleb Hull ??? (@CalebJHull) December 7, 2019
Their new location is in Hudson Yards which got… $5.6 BILLION in subsidies. Only hiring 1,500. You lost Queens 25,000 jobs & lost NY 23,500 jobs. You lost Queens & NY huge economic activity by having Amazon headquarters there. Only in socialist fantasy land is that brag worthy.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 7, 2019
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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