QNS
Bishop Mitchell Taylor and Queensbridge residents rallied on Monday to support employment opportunities that the online retail giant could possibly provide to Long Island City and beyond.
Taylor told reporters that negativity from opponents of the proposal does not represent the wants or needs of NYCHA residents or the involvement of their leaders in discussions about Amazon coming to their community. But more than anything, they spoke out against perceived outsiders stoking discontent within the confines of the housing complex.
“I’m incensed when I see people from Connecticut, from other boroughs, from other places, convene upon Queensbridge, knocking on doors telling people because of Amazon, because of this, you’re going to lose your apartment,” Taylor said. “Let me tell you something: if you’re concerned about gentrification, that happened 15 years ago … You cannot speak for us. You haven’t lived here.”
Taylor’s roots in Queensbridge go deep with his father, also a pastor, first serving a northwest Queens congregation in 1960 and Taylor himself leading worship for 28 years. He is a founder of Urban Upbound, an organization which works to break cycles that keep families in poverty and serves on the Community Advisory Committee for the implementation of Amazon.
“We are negotiating. We are talking. We are trying to figure out what is the best possible outcome for the residents of northwestern Queens and New York City,” Taylor said. “Twenty-five thousand jobs, possibly 40,000 jobs coming to this neighborhood and we want to know how that’s going to happen, how that’s going to benefit our residents. Nobody is cutting any deals here.”
NY Daily News
Supporters
of Amazon’s plan to bring a new hub to Queens gathered Monday in front
of the Queensbridge North Houses to counter critics who say the deal has
little to no grassroots backing.
Their event attracted a diverse — and unlikely — mix of about a dozen people to the Long Island City public housing complex and included tenant leaders, a representative from the pro-business Association for a Better New York and Rep. Carolyn Maloney.
April Simpson, president of the Queensbridge Houses Tenant Association, was front and center. She contends that, unlike other new arrivals to the area, Amazon has been talking with the group since “Day One” and believes the Seattle-based company will hire people living in the NYCHA complex.
“You know why? Because we have a voice,” she said. “We’re at the table. That’s the blessing.”
If Amazon has been meeting with these people and there is so much alleged support for the HQ2 deal, why would they keep it such a secret?
"Day One" is Jeff Bezo's credo for running his empire.
16 comments:
Isn't Bezos the world's richest man now? And did he not send pix of his junk over his cellphone to his mistress? So how does this Anthony Wiener wannabe still have a job? Goes to show, money can't buy _______ (fill in the blank).
12 people? Not exactly overwhelming support.
The big picture is ugly. Those jobs are not guaranteed to go to queens residents,or NYCHA residents. The impact is huge.
Send Amazon to one of Metro Norths last stops. Like yonkers,or the hood in newburgh. Or Rocheater ny. Anything but congested LIC.
We already have whole foods, if and when Amazon acquires Whole foods it will be a wrap for most all businesses.
We already lost sears,and local retailers are already taking a hit. Amazon's presence just seals the deal.
so Fxxx Amazon.
This is interesting, JVB and the "Reverend" are pals from way back. Does this indicate a rift in their relationship. Did the Rev. get paid off and Did JVB NOT get his palm greased?!
They will build. Nothing can stop them now.
I wonder where Bishop Taylor gets the money for that fancy car
If amazon wants to come here, fine. But they should pay the market rate for the land they buy, should not be given city owned property to build on, nor should they be given billions of dollars of public taxpayers money.
White liberals fucking shit up.
New polls show blacks want it, latinos want it, white people not so much.
The bigotry of low expectations. White mans burden.
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This is a pretty simple cost/benefit analysis. The benefits in the long run far outweigh the costs. It's silly when I read people say send them to Newburgh or Rochester. That's not where people necessarily want to live and further they need a skilled and qualified workforce. These tech companies like to cluster with others to compete for workers.
It's not clear what NYCHA residents will eventually get but what do they get now? These same people who complain about Amazon are more than happy to get their orders the next day. Wake up already we live in a capitalist society. This is no longer a union town and the medallion cabs no longer have a monopoly on the roads. That's how it is there are disruptive forces out there deal with it.
Three cheers for Bishop Taylor, his congregation in Queensbridge is one of many local communities that will benefit from the Amazon project, and three cheers for April Simpson for letting the rest of us know that Amazon has been talking to her group of local residents about upcoming opportunities since "Day One", this clashes with the loud complaints of some local Queens politicians who were bypassed by Gov. Cuomo in negotiations with Amazon. It is understandable that the local boys and girls in the Queens Democratic party want to get their beaks wet in the Amazon deal but it is to be hoped that they don't kill the Amazon goose before it lays golden eggs.
>Isn't Bezos the world's richest man now? And did he not send pix of his junk over his cellphone to his mistress? So how does this Anthony Wiener wannabe still have a job?
Bezos owns his company. He's the largest shareholder of Amazon, and beholden only to the board and other large shareholders. They're not about to toss the guy who's made them billions because he was unfaithful to his wife.
Bezos built Amazon and sent photos of his junk to his adult mistress. Weiner was a Congressman, elected to represent his district, which he did oh so responsibly by exchanging sexts with an underage girl. Big difference.
There are a lot of pros and cons with this Amazon-LIC deal, the cons being hyper-gentrification and local resident displacement, congestion and increased stress on a decaying infrastructure. The deal itself was sleazy, with it circumventing the Council for discussion and votes. On the pro side, its construction and presence will fuel the local economy, with middle class employees buying/renting apartments, furnishing those apartments, patronizing restaurants, delis, gyms, etc., not to mention the tax revenue from their salaries.
Lastly, don't assume because the supportive turnout is small that these NYCHA tenants aren't rooting for Amazon. Activists that descend on the scene are well-organized, non-local, professional radicals who bully, shame and scare residents into signing petitions. Quite common these days. The deal should've been negotiated transparently, with pros and cons discussed publicly, including what jobs and benefits (GED completion, skill training, childcare, etc.) Amazon would provide. And there's nothing wrong with having an advocate speak publicly on behalf of the residents since not everyone feels comfortable opining in front of a camera.
Lets face it - the Welfare State in this one instance actually will build jobs and generate income to say nothing of pulling in good people as opposed to riff-raff.
Amazon not coming to LIC. This gets the golden crapper award.
Well, they don't pay taxes and Amazon doesn't pay taxes. Life is good on Prime huh Jeff?
Little nookie on the side and you are all set you creep.
https://www.rt.com/business/451417-amazon-pays-negative-tax-loopholes/
Hate to be cynical but what employment skill set does NYCHA residents have to work at AmazonHQ? The often touted average $150,000 salary means you’re probably not living at a NYCHA building. You’re a programmer or in marketining etc. I knew someone who worked at Google in NYC and he was highly educated. A working class Joe isn’t gong to command $150,000 working at their future Woodside fulfillment center.
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