Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist who will respresent New York's 14th Congressional District in the new Congress, said her Queens constituents had voiced "outrage" about reports that Amazon would locate one of its new headquarters in nearby Long Island City.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon was set to announce New York City and Virginia's Arlington County as locations of two new headquarters for the e-commerce giant with as many as 25,000 employees split between the two.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called it "the single biggest economic development deal in the history of New York City." Critics of Amazon said it did not pay enough tax on its vast profits, and that its workers were often badly paid and worked under poor conditions, especially at its warehouses.
The 29-year-old Democrat, who defeated 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in last June's primary and was the youngest woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, took on Amazon in a series of tweets.
"We've been getting calls and outreach from Queens residents all day about this. The community's response? Outrage," Ocasio-Cortez wrote.
"Amazon is a billion-dollar company. The idea that it will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks at a time when our subway is crumbling and our communities need MORE investment, not less, is extremely concerning to residents here."
She urged people to "dig deep" when companies promise to bring jobs to an area, asking whether the company has promised to hire from the existing community, what the quality of the jobs will be, what the wages and benefits are, and whether workers can collectively bargain.
"Displacement is not community development. Investing in luxury condos is not the same thing as investing in people and families," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "Shuffling working-class people out of a community does not improve their quality of life.
"We need to focus on good healthcare, living wages, affordable rent. Corporations that offer none of those things should be met w/ skepticism.
"It's possible to establish economic partnerships w/ real opportunities for working families, instead of a race-to-the-bottom competition."
This "isn't just about one company or one headquarters," Ocasio-Cortez continued. "It's about cost of living, corps paying their fair share, etc. It's not about picking a fight, either. I was elected to advocate for our community's interests - & they've requested, clearly, to voice their concerns."
Amazon did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Shane Croucher is a Senior Editor based in London, UK. He oversees the My Turn team. He has previously overseen ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
