AMAZON’S STUNNING PULLOUT A CASE STUDY IN ‘HOW TO BLOW THE BIG ONE’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY FEB. 20, 2019) — They blew it.
Or perhaps the passive voice might be better, since “they” depends on your politics, hence: It was blown.
Amazon’s pullout from Long Island City, Queens, will be a Harvard Case Study in the not-too-distant past. Why would an area shoot itself in the foot that badly? Or did it? And regardless of the efficacy of the pullout, how did it happen?
Surely, part of the explanation has an earthly origin. The other part populates an ethereal dimension, on a transcendental plane of alternative existence. THE PLANET would hazard that parallel universes figure as well. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo and NYC mayor Bill DeBlasio thought they had this one tucked safely in the Louis Vitton, or at least Al Gore’s lockbox. They forgot their ninth grade Latin, however: Numquam duo, semper tres (“Never two, always three”). They forgot to include congresswoman Alexandria Ocascio-Cortez, that ethical stalwart from the Bronx’s 14th District who just put her boyfriend on the payroll with his own house.gov account. Nifty. He’s in charge of cleaning the bongs, a $90K gig. The kids in the office call him “Sweet Leaf.”
The pullout represents an enormous loss, though not a crushing blow, for NYC. You don’t pass up 25,000 jobs @ $150K per year plus bennies and not feel it. As many have pointed out, the revenues that would have been generated in taxes, payroll, and ancillary commerce are virtually incalculable. THE PLANET‘s comments yesterday on AOC’s “win for the little guy,” perhaps not articulated well enough, were meant only for the politics of the exit. As an astute commentators pointed out on this board, Queens isn’t even the congresswoman’s district.
That didn’t stop the wild-eyed AOQ (Ambition and Opportunism Queen) from butting in and leveraging her hypnotized Twitter “followers” to wreak havoc. Goodbye 2020 for her party. Can you imagine being a Democrat running for president having to explain this hit job to Middle America.?
If ever the Whitman School at Syracuse University or any other business school needs Exhibit A for the dangers of social media, this is it. By amplifying the voice of a shrieking, underage congresswoman with hooker’s makeup, social media has turned AOQ into Aphrodite for the tweeting minions — the very ones she has robbed of independent thought and critical ponderance. For them, social media has become a loaded AK-47 in the hands of a gorilla. For reference, check out any of The Three Stooges episodes that feature a locked-and-loaded Kong. Anyone can get hit.
In the end, Amazon got tired of dealing with extremists and “community activists” for whom profitable enterprise represents “morally sinful capitalism.” That’s precious coming from people who don’t as a whole believe in God and who have no problem courting Big Money on the campaign trail. Bezos’ Bozos also got scared by the noise being made by NYC’s rapacious unions, who raise Orson Welles if a non-union worker pulls the plug from a toaster.
Lost in the discussion from Monday’s column on Amazon was our mention of 1Berkshire’s rollout of “Berkshire 2.0.” There wasn’t even a “1.0,” but that didn’t stop The Suits and Special Interests from holding another local love-in, telling each other how great they are. We tried to point out the difference between how Pittsfield and most anywhere else recruits new business. At least Queens and NY State dealt with behemoth Amazon. Pittsfield gives away the store to inchoate enterprises of dubious pedigree run by shadowy characters. These carpetbaggers promise anything to receive taxpayer dollars but deliver little to nothing. They last months or years, but in the end, they book town for the next Suckerville (or jail), and Pittsfield politicians let them go without accountability. Guess who ends up paying?
Gotta mirror?
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“Remember that a [painting] — before being a war horse, a nude woman, or some other object — is essentially a plane surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order” — Artist Maurice Denis.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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“Left a good job in the city,
Workin’ for the man ev’ry night and day,
And I never lost one minute of sleepin’,
Worryin’ ’bout the way things might have been.
Big wheel keep on turnin’,
Proud Mary keep on burnin’,
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ on the river.“
Speaking of iBerkshires……I was not paying too much attention to them until I thought I noticed a couple of their articles jump off their front page rather quickly and I wondered why. And came to the conclusion that they were hot topics that apparently touch a nerve somewhere. The modification suggested to me that they might be controlled from city hall which of course would be no surprise.
Is this news source right here the only one city hall does not control? Is this news source why special interests lie awake at night wondering what will be exposed next?
JA
This IS the only news source that The Suits do not control. That is an accurate statement.
Dan,
I understood the point of yesterday’s column very well. Seems some people wanna shoot the messenger on a regular basis on this planet. Fact is you were telling us what happened with Amazon pullout, and how some elected officials actually listened to their constituents, unlike in Pissfield, not that you supported the push out. In fact, in a comment a few days back you pointed out that Amazon was bringing real jobs in nyc while it was all smoke and mirrors in pissfield.
J99
Yes, that was the essential point we tried to get across: Where legit cities go for legit companies, Pittsfield goes for (falls for) the con. There are three possible explanations for this madness: (1) Officials are actually that stupid. (2) Officials are actually that desperate. (3) Officials are on the take. It’s likely a combination of (2) and (3), with a dash (1) thrown in for SPICE.
I would pick door number 3 and throw in a wheelbarrow full of collusion.
Gossip at a watering hole suggests that in 2000-2005 special interests were skimming 15-20 percent off the average municipal budget, but soon thereafter, for whatever reason, decided to up the ante and by 2017 were grabbing for 30-35 percent. Interestingly, tax increases seem to mirror these percentages as services declined. How weird is that?
I know that sounds absurd and you are wondering who would talk of such things but use your imagination or visit youtube politics.
The elected officials did not listen to their constituents, unless you count special interests and labor unions. They brainwashed their constituents to believe Amazon was bad for them. They spread lies about Amazon and the sheeple ate it all up. One idiot held up a sign saying Amazon creates homelessness of all things. These fools will believe anything their hero AOC and other suits tell them.
This same kind of deception and trickery happens all the time here, so it’s no surprise it happens in a place like NYC.
I think the whole situation is a result of Democrat/Socialist/Progressive (DSP) tax policies and the wacko politicians who promote it like AOC.
New York is a mess. Yes, they offered tax breaks to Amazon, but who the hell wants to live there? Cuomo has been whining about a 3B+ revenue shortfall, when his own progressive tax schedule has been driving the wealthy out of New York state! Duh! Plus, it’s a sanctuary state which means massive public assistance – “ free stuff” for the illegals, paid for by the Kapanskis!
California, another DSP stronghold, another sanctuary state, mired in loss of revenues as citizens leave for states friendlier to the citizens’ pocketbooks. Feces- covered sidewalks, high crime, homeless camped all along the streets – another testament to DSP policies!
Thank God we have a president who hates socialism!
So Trump gives 2 Trillion to wealthy and to Corporations ….Republicans love corporate welfare…what do you not see.
While the wealthy get far more government welfare (albeit by another name) than poorer people, at least they don’t leave feces all over the sidewalks. I hope this clarifies.
JA, example?
Isn’t donating a toxic swamp to Pittsfield and building a elementary school a corporate feces.
Thank you President Trump. Socialists on the far left want to destroy the Capitalist system in this country. Believe it or not, they will use the Green New Deal to do it. They must be stopped. Read the details of the Green New Deal and you will see what I mean. It’s not about climate change at all.
Marchetti is having a press conference on the Stooges bootlicker hour.
did this guy invent the stuffed shirt or just make it famous?
JOHNNY
Funny line!
The stuffed shirt was invented by George Washington Valenti in 1791 on the Common.
Your being turned into a third world economy,the wealthy keep stealing your life.We can’t afford cities anymore because of corporate blacmail.We have to pay a ransom to get a job.Should be against the law.Stop immigration by putting business owners in jail.Very cheap answer.
Socialism is akin to giving Stanley-BeaCon and Covanta taxpayer dollars to employ. So the employee is paid for by you.
We gave Covanta $ so we would have a place to leave our garbage
Taxpayers currently subsidize the big 5 oil companies almost 5 billion bucks a year. It does not come under the title of socialism therefore it is a good thing. Handouts to wealthy=good. Handouts to not wealthy=bad.
Can you explain how this works?
Krol-Doug
Caccamo- Index
Moon-coffee pot
Mazzeo-Dinner
Connell-Status Quo
Parsnip-dumpster
White-bootlicker
Marchetti- polically correct
Diva- flip flop
Simonelli-elbow patch
Morandi- Nea
Tyred-Bader Ginsburg
Trump says he’s innocent, keeps obstructing his investigation.
Under or Over on Pat saying Socialism before the next election is 72,000.A TwoTrillion giveaway or theft from me and my family to capitalist and the Socialist are killing capitalism…..hey whatever Fox and Trump say to say….Pat has real money
Mario, thank you for all the pearls of wisdom.
I watch the mayor’s presser today. I think she shop at Barry Clairmont factory outlet.
She does have poor taste in fashion .
And while we’re on the subject of Amazon and Jeff Bezos – his rag the Washington Post is being sued by Nick Sandmann for their irresponsible fraudulent reporting. Go Nick – I hope you are awarded the full $250 million!
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/02/19/nick-sandmann-sues-washington-post-for-250-million-over-defamatory-coverage/
Washington Post is a newspaper of quality to all you TMZ, Fox guys
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/02/19/falmouth-plow-driver-sprays-trump-protesters-slush/
Do they test the air inside of Allendale school? If not why not?
They started testing every Monday morning but results were skewed as it turns out kids fart a lot. A fart-straining filter is being shipped in from Mexico but is taking longer than expected as the burro keeps stopping to nibble on cacti.
They will not test the air filters because they do not want the answer.They should test them every month for 3 years and all conditions. They get PCB dust pulled into the building from Hickey Hill.The worst part is the ground water on the grass has polluted surface water drying then wind blown dust……..Think Love Canal
A friend who worked for GE, before the consent farce was ratified, stated there IS more pollutants in JUST Silver Lake than they removed from Love Canal.
Those pollutants were left in place with a synthetic rug and some sand on top as a “cleanup”.
The hill behind Morningside will continue to pollute for hundreds of years.
The bakery that was closed, on Newell street had PCB oil seeping into it’s basement.
There is still a toxic lagoon behind what was once GE plastics.
Rather than clean up, GE buried contaminated equipment from the transformer building and capped the carnage with cement. Why can’t PEDA get someone to build there?
PCB oil was “donated to the city” , when there were still unpaved roads, and it was dumped there to “control dust”.
PITTSfield built a new high school upon a PCB dump.
Contaminated soil was “donated” to the PITTSfield sewer treatment plant as “clean fill”.
And the Left Winged Parrot/Berkshire Bird/Boring Broadsheet apoved and said all is well no story here…..we got Judas Money and will have PEDA to save us……
They will never test the indoor air quality,never….Play dumb ask very general questions.Marchetti knows very well whats going on below ground and on the hill.Truth is this School sits on top of a SUPER FUND SITE
When we test for radon we do it inside. Why test for PCBs outside. Makes no sense.
Sorry, but a lot of bad information is being perpetuated on this board with respect to the Amazon pullout. While AOC may trumpet this as a win for herself and all she stands for, she was just a noisy gadfly who had approximately zero role in Amazon’s decision to go elsewhere. The man who WAS responsible is named Michael Gianaris, the NY state senator who represents the region of Queens that includes Long Island City. He also serves on the three member NY Public Authorities Control Board, without whose approval the project could not move forward. Bezos saw the handwriting on the wall – that approval would not be granted – and that was that.
All of the financial inducements offered to Amazon were at the state and local level. Not one thing to do with AOC, as she has zero authority over such decisions. She had nothing to do with it. Though she’s happy to claim otherwise, and has apparently bamboozled a great any people into believing her self-aggrandizing BS.
Sounds like she should recuse herself.
Oh boy. Here we go again. Another do gooder program that sounds to good to be true and probably is: free money to fix your home, courtesy of the Kapanskis, but only if you don’t earn enough to afford to fix it.
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/59351/Tyer-Pitches-Program-To-Help-Residents-Make-Home-Improvements.html
Why not make people pay it back across time with a low payment instead of forgiving the loan or not making them pay for several years ? You know, a hand up, not a hand out? Can you spell B E A CON?
Who decides the geo boundaries, and what logic is used?
What happens when 20 years from now homeowner dies and house is probated ? Will city have lien on home for unpaid loan? Will we ever get our money back?
Jeepers Wally, I thought the GE Economic Development fund , aka The Kapanskis Cash, was supposed to be used to create jobs, not give free bees to slumlords, who already get their rent paid by The Kapanskis through Sec 8.
Why is this not available to any bedraggled taxpayer if it is indeed going to be made available to landlords?
Every way you look at this we lose, Our city turns its lonely eyes to you, Dan The Man. Common sense has left and gone away.
Dan, I hope you slice and dice this and serve it up with a side of reality instead of a side of socialism.
I am totally against this, for several reasons. The main reason is that the Mayor wants the GE funds for this – NOT! I agree Johnny99 – this fund was set up to spur economic growth – not for interest free loans to homeowners. BOGUS! Then Ruffer stated in the article that they may look at making some of the loans forgiveable – WHAT? To the well-connected, I’m sure.
What a terrible proposal! The city has already given away the store to the Beacon, the Morningside project, etc.
You raised some other good points, Johnny.
Another scam brought to you by your local government leeches.
This has been transpiring for quite sometime under the guise and auspices of the Community Development Office. I know of a well known resident who has claimed indigency and in turn received a tremendous amount of home improvements, including a new furnace through this city office; not to mention a staggering amount of other perks and assistance ranging from washing machines,cell phones, medical, food, transportation, and much, much more.All with substantial hidden assets and real estate. Playing the system is how they refer to this life style.
MR F
They are counting on people forgetting or not knowing the history, now going 21 years and counting, of the $10 million in GE money. It was created for two purposes: Economic development and tax reduction. It has been used for neither. For reference, see “Bux, Bossidy.” When Larry gave his $1 million for the improvement of parks, Pittsfield officials insulted the guy and spent it as they wished. Threw it away, actually. Look under “C” for “Corruption.”
Also a scheme to raise property assessments, one house gets new siding and they can claim the neighborhood has improved and houses within 10 miles can be taxed as if they are worth more
Good point, Wilson. So the increase in assessments brings in more tax dollars for the city, while using the GE account to fund the scheme. The newest wealth redistribution scam!
CAN’T STOP SPENDING MONEY
J-99
That GE money was NEVER intended for home improvements. A terrible idea that follows a terrible precedent set by (1) The initial wasting of the GE money, which was meant for economic development and tax reduction, and (2) The wasting of Larry Bossidy’s $1 million gift.
Pittsfield Ma. Has the worst money grabbing landlords in the US.The drug house landlords make lots of cash off the drug business in Pittsfield….Mayor Tyer is not ever going to deal with the Pittsfield budget.She will never retire on 1300 a month SS and she does not have to think about that struggle.
I wouldn’t be a landlord in Pittsfield under any circumstances. First you have to subsidize the GOBs chosen landlords . And the only tenants available to you are poor quality while the chosen landlords get tax breaks.
Also when forced to evict it takes forever costing thousands…add to that fixing whatever they broke and cleaning mountains of garbage. Landlords who give a shit get and play by the rules get screwed by the system!
Doesn’t every business in Pittsfield benefit when a drug dealer buys food, furniture or a car etc.?
What’s the deal with this Turocy guy? He can’t properly hire and train City plow drivers?
Is he just another untouchable City employee who scares the mayor or something?
I’ll ask, but I know the answer: the mayor can’t fire this guy?
But happy four-year anniversary to the late Bianchi administration: Four years ago this week we saw the great (non)plowing disaster in Pittsfield.
School vacation week. Saturday night big snow storm. Hey, its school vacation week and its the weekend.
I still believe that’s what sank Bianchi.
There were so many things that sunk Bianchi.
He will tell you it was the fault of Jonathan Lothrop, John Krol and yours truly.
Barry
Yes, Pittsfield Prosper, Pittsfield WAS great, and that’s stated every day on the Planet.
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/59354/Group-Formed-to-Foster-Pittsfield-Pride-Counter-Naysayers.html
But we be livin’ here and now, yo.
And who exactly is “prospering” around here? Only folks with public-sector jobs/retirees and their families, most likely. GE pensioners, maybe, if they can pay the confiscatory property taxes.
And if you ain’t prospering now, you ain’t going to be, around here, anyway.
Leave it to Pittsfield to screw up a Chili’s . . .
ERM
Thanks for posting this. It would be interesting to see who and what, if anyone or anything, is behind PP, other than Mrs. O’Leary. Let us remember, too, that it was Mrs. O’Leary’s cow who burned down Chicago. We wish her well. As the most positive and optimistic force advocating for Pittsfield, Mass., THE PLANET should have a place in PP as Honorary Emeritus Booster. The most optimistic view of the city MUST begin with a recognition of the shocking seriousness of its deterioration, an erosion of the economy, of the demographics, of the politics. When department heads basically tell the mayor to perform an anatomical possibility on herself (Come on down, DPW Chief), all the forced “optimism” and boosterism in the world won’t mean a thing.
Mayor Tyer is the Pittsfield face of Trump as she only acknowledges people of means.
Tyer is a Hilary supporter.
Upper….don’t feed the trolls.
Thank you Peter Marchetti for trying to instill some common sense in the nincompoop, Drew Herzig. Ziggy is crazy.
Off Dan’s subject matter but current news.
So will the MSM drop Jussie Smollett criminal actions like a fresh hot turd?
1) He claimed to be beaten by two white men wearing MAGA hats, who made homophobic and racial slurs. Turns out false and were two African associates that he had hired.
“Smollett has been active in LBGTQ issues, and initial reports of the assault drew outrage and support for him on social media, including from Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and television talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. Harris called the alleged attack an “attempted modern day lynching.”
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/02/20/jussie-smollett-charged-with-disorderly-conduct-for-allegedly-filing-false-police-report/
2) Sent himself a package with a threat and a powdered substance, later found to be aspirin.
“Not only is Smollett said to have staged his own attack, but may also be behind a threatening letter sent to himself on the set of Empire. WBBM Channel 2 reported on Tuesday that he “orchestrated” the assault after the letter failed to evoke a larger reaction from the public. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating whether Smollett played a role in the letter’s January 22 delivery. The letter, which possessed powered aspirin and the phrase “Die black fag,” is undergoing analysis at an FBI crime lab, ABC News reported.”
Are these hoax staged “hate crimes”? Why did hollywierd ,the progressive left , and MSM, jump on board with this deviant? Both actions of Jussie Smollett are felonies.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/02/18/hoax-hate-crimes-list/?fbclid=IwAR1k3sOe94dNWS2leEC4aO22LuJ_7TFskF3FQ3Ht8dki0JxK-4LA7h2VPPg
And how long did it take Fox to fire Roseanne Barr for just one tweet?
You can add the fake news story about the Falmouth snow plow driver posted above to the list. We all know the ‘victims’ in that are full of it
Snowflakes getting slushed!!!
I ROFL when I watched that.
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/02/19/falmouth-plow-driver-sprays-trump-protesters-slush/
The best part of the story is….he paid off the two Africans WITH A CHECK!
So not only is he racist and dishonest, he’s stupid too.
Not the sharpest tool in the shed!
Chicago PD Superintendent blasted the liberal media during today’s press conference. Liberal propaganda posing as the media is the enemy of the people. If Joseph Goebbels were alive today he’d be running CNN and MSNBC. He’d give Morning Joe a whole new twist.
I agree, LW.
The comments by the Chicago PD Supt. were powerful & right on target.
How true. I was very impressed by the Chicago PD Supt. He said it just like it is!!!!
I hear his nick name is special ed.
Celeb right wing Trump supporter was speaking on behalf of our President again today, Hannity will clean her up tonight.
Socialist Security should be doubled.
Sure sounds to me like Amazon’s decision-makers had a grand epiphany. The realization came, almost too late, that locating major warehouse/headquarters operations in the heart of the most union-dominated city and state in the nation could unleash a nationwide effort to unionize all of Amazon’s far-flung warehouse operations.
Up to now, one of Amazon’s main competitive advantages in online sales and order fulfillment over the brick-and-mortar competition is that Amazon has been able to keep its labor costs low. But if that calculus were to change because of unionization of Amazon’s network of warehouses and an increase in labor costs, then Amazon’s competitive advantage would suffer. Same applies should Amazon lose its present sweet deal with the U.S. Postal Service providing Amazon with highly favorable shipping rates below what you or I would pay. Change that formula and Amazon’s advantage further deteriorates. It would not take much for Amazon’s costs to meet or exceed its brick-and-mortar competitors.
(One advantage Amazon used to enjoy over the competition, but no longer, was that Amazon was not legally required to collect state sales taxes on online sales. That is no longer the case. Amazon now collects sales taxes from customers who live in states requiring same, erasing what had been one of the original big advantages buying online from Amazon.)