Amazon HQ2 thread

[Gordo]

Originally Posted by The North One

lol logistics is tech now? I guess Mobile Alabama is actually a tech hub.

We're talking about different logistics. Regardless, it's overwhelmingly obvious to most people that have ever looked at Amazon's job postings to see that most jobs offered in their Seattle HQ are tech jobs. They have more software engineers that anyone outside of maybe Microsoft and Google (yes, many more than Apple or Facebook or Oracle or other big tech companies - they have more than 5000 open SWE postings for Seattle right now). This was the type job that they've advertised as being a part of HQ2 as well - who knows whether that's truly the case, but that was the pitch.

[mhays]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Actually Chicago is filled with enough tech workers to suit Amazon's needs.

You've got to be kidding. Have you not been paying attention?

A small percentage of HQ1 is from Seattle...in a city with a software industry on a much larger scale that Chicago.

The company hires from worldwide and they're notoriously picky. Unless you think HQ2 is a call center, they'll hire from worldwide.

[fleonzo]

Originally Posted by BrownTown

Cool rant dude, but it has nothing to do with the actual thread and just makes you look ignorant as hell. Of course Amazon isn't going to put a HQ in a rural area, but that has nothing to do with politics. Nobody with even the slightest semblance of a brain though they were going to just plop their HQ in the middle of a corn field or something, that doesn't even make sense.


Most people who attend top colleges or get jobs at top tech firms aren't actually from the local community. People come from literally the entire world to attend top colleges and work at top jobs. The ranking of the local high school doesn't really play into that.

Hate to break it to you, but these blue states are going to give Amazon massive tax breaks too.

Well, if the state of New York is going to give them Billions of tax pay dollars to relocate then you'd hope they see some return on their investment. I was simply pointing out that historically this sort of, "trickle down" economics where these states give big corporations massive handouts actually tend to cost the state more than it gets back in return.

At any rate, here's a good article about how economically inefficient it is to place HQ2 in these locations:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/...-2-new-york-virginia-dc-lic-crystal-city

Thanks for posting a response to the rantings, from Mental...., of what constituted nothing more than political ignorance about people from other parts of the country ("red" vs "blue" nonsense). This thread is about Amazon's choice for its expansion plans not about how people in different states vote, etc....

[10023]

Originally Posted by The North One

lol logistics is tech now? I guess Mobile Alabama is actually a tech hub.

Depends what kind of logistics. When it’s AI and drones, that’s tech.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by mhays

My point is they're hiring tech positions.

i bet not as many as people would like to think. not that there won't be tech, but at first probably primarily more lobbyists for dc and bean counters for lic.

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

i bet not as many as people would like to think. not that there won't be tech, but at first probably primarily more lobbyists for dc and bean counters for lic.

if they were just going to hire lobbyists for dc, they wouldn't need to put their offices there.

[isaidso]

Vancouver might not have made the cut but it will see more Amazon investment than a majority of cities on the short list.

Amazon opening another office within The Exchange in downtown Vancouver


Amazon’s corporate expansion within Vancouver continues with another downtown office location.

The Seattle-based electronic commerce company is opening another office within The Exchange office tower at 475 Howe Street. About 100,000-sq-ft of office space has been leased by Amazon within the building, which absorbs the remaining vacancy in the tower, according to a recent Metro Vancouver market report by NAI Commercial. With this lease, Amazon is set to have four permanent corporate offices, with locations including the existing TELUS Garden, the under-construction 150,000-sq-ft office building at 402 Dunsmuir Street, and the 416,000-sq-ft office within the upcoming Canada Post redevelopment.

Over 5,000 people will be employed in Amazon’s Vancouver corporate offices once all the locations are open. Altogether, the company has committed to over 650,000-sq-ft of future downtown space, and this does not include their new 450,000-sq-ft fulfillment centre warehouse in Delta.


TELUS Garden (510 West Georgia Street): Existing; completed in 2015. Amazon space: 91,000-sq-ft.




The Exchange (475 Howe Street): Future; completed in early-2018. Amazon space: 100,000-sq-ft.




402 Dunsmuir Street: Future, reaching completion in early-2020. Amazon space: 150,000-sq-ft.




Canada Post redevelopment (349 West Georgia Street): Future; reaching completion in 2022. Amazon space: 416,000-sq-ft.



http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/amazon-the-exchange-office-475-howe-street-vancouver

[mhays]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

i bet not as many as people would like to think. not that there won't be tech, but at first probably primarily more lobbyists for dc and bean counters for lic.

Lobbyists of course, but that would be a TINY operation even for a huge corporation.

[pico44]

I have to say, choosing New York was a baller move. I didn't think Bezos had it in him.

[mrnyc]

^ yeah and its kind of a shame that he did. i think dc was a lock, but i wish the second hq2 would have went somewhere that could really use it more. it would have been transformative elsewhere.

Originally Posted by skyscraper

if they were just going to hire lobbyists for dc, they wouldn't need to put their offices there.

of course, just alluding that that both hq2’s could likely be more business than techy oriented.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Why is anyone surprised by Amazon's choice? Rural "heartland" communities don't believe in science and technology. They'd rather teach creationism and deny climate change. Red state voters have gutted their education systems for the last 30 years (see OK, KS and WV) in favor of lower taxes, while ignoring the fact the rest of the world was hurtling towards an information, knowledge based economy. Now they're filled with "angry white men" who are bitter that there are no "good jobs" for them. Facts matter, reality matters. Bravo for Amazon to keep moving towards the future. Amazon was built on innovation, why should it compromise now?

Yeah because Topeka, Oklahoma City, and Huntington were all big on Amazons radar. I think people were talking about Chicago, St Louis, and Detroit, but nice job injecting your strongly held political views.

Also, I went to a rural Arkansas school and I never once was taught creationism. Maybe the boogieman is more in your head than real.

[mhays]

Some states have gone backwards in the teaching of science vs. myth, as well as public policy set by lobbyists rather than science and ethics (North Carolina struck the concept of climate change from its coastal policy for example). And it's certainly a risk in additional states. It's a valid idea to states that do stupid things, or seem like risks to do stupid things. That works in both directions...Seattle's policies must have at least contributed to the desire for an HQ2.

[The North One]

Why? Because Seattle wasn't bending over backward for precious Amazon? Meanwhile, Amazon is exploiting all of the city's resources, services and infrastructure that played a huge role in the company's success. Seattle could have done a lot worse and even they backtracked on progressive policies.

[BrownTown]

Originally Posted by mhays

Some states have gone backwards in the teaching of science vs. myth, as well as public policy set by lobbyists rather than science and ethics (North Carolina struck the concept of climate change from its coastal policy for example). And it's certainly a risk in additional states. It's a valid idea to states that do stupid things, or seem like risks to do stupid things. That works in both directions...Seattle's policies must have at least contributed to the desire for an HQ2.

I'm sure you can find a few instances of idiots trying to inject Conservative propaganda into schools, but I really doubt it comes anywhere close to the amount of Liberal propaganda that's rampant in higher education. The shit my girlfriend is being taught in college now is totally different than what I was taught in college and it's all straight out of the leftist playbook. It's all about how the worlds problems are the fault of white men and capitalists etc. Even if you agree with this sort of stuff you should at least agree that schools should be teaching both sides of the story. It's so bad that my poor girlfriend (who immigrated to the US from Communist Vietnam where her family works in sweatshops for like $1/hr and despises Communism) is forced to write about how great Communism is because apparently that's what they're teaching kids in college these days. She does have one Conservative professor too and that professor also tries to brainwash people so I'm not saying ONLY liberals are guilty of this shit, but something like 85% of college professors are liberals so it's mostly coming from that side. Long story short: we need to keep politics out of education and instead simply teach kids the facts and let them come to their own conclusions.

[mhays]

Are you kidding? Colleges go overboard but at least you can pick your own college. A large percentage of K-12 history textbooks have gone USSR-like in glorification of the US, based on a "let's engender patriotism" mindset. Propaganda starts early, and that's far more true in some places than others.

[mhays]

Originally Posted by The North One

Why? Because Seattle wasn't bending over backward for precious Amazon? Meanwhile, Amazon is exploiting all of the city's resources, services and infrastructure that played a huge role in the company's success. Seattle could have done a lot worse and even they backtracked on progressive policies.

I said "Seattle's policies must have at least contributed to the desire for an HQ2."

Are you trying to imply that this isn't true? I don't know why you replied to my post.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by mhays

I said "Seattle's policies must have at least contributed to the desire for an HQ2."

Are you trying to imply that this isn't true? I don't know why you replied to my post.

I'm not trying to imply it isn't true I'm just saying Seattle did nothing wrong and shouldn't be reprimanded for not catering to Amazon. Even if that's not at all what you were inclining. It wasn't really a reply to you more like a thought about the situation being put out there, so yeah... this is a public forum.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Yeah because Topeka, Oklahoma City, and Huntington were all big on Amazons radar. I think people were talking about Chicago, St Louis, and Detroit, but nice job injecting your strongly held political views.

St. Louis is in a deeply red state, so, yeah, it's a consideration. Politics are always relevant.

It isn't unreasonable to think that Missouri could be a state that effectively outlawed abortion, forced teaching of creationism, or banned equal right to marriage, which would obviously affect Amazon employees.

[BrownTown]

Originally Posted by Crawford

It isn't unreasonable to think that Missouri could be a state that effectively outlawed abortion, forced teaching of creationism, or banned equal right to marriage, which would obviously affect Amazon employees.

Seems unlikely since the Supreme Court says you can't do any of those things. At any rate, you can list a lot of shitty possibilities of living in a blue state to. Most prominently having to pay sky high taxes and deal with absurd regulations.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by BrownTown

Seems unlikely since the Supreme Court says you can't do any of those things.

All these things are all the table, and realistic, going forward. Many states have already effectively outlawed abortion by restricting clinics and applying public shaming. You basically can't get an abortion in MS these days. The right was so crazed for Kavanaugh because they dream he'll overturn Roe v Wade.

Originally Posted by BrownTown

At any rate, you can list a lot of shitty possibilities of living in a blue state to.

Name one relevant to attracting talented young millennials.