Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Disses Amazon’s New York City Expansion Plans

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) got slammed by critics on Twitter after she penned a tweet dissing Amazon’s expansion plans in New York City’s Hudson Yards.

“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. “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

Some people did not agree with the Democrat congresswoman’s gloating, saying the retailer’s office space in Hudson Yards would bring significantly fewer jobs than the planned headquarters in Long Island City:

I bet a lot of shopkeepers and store owners in LIC would have loved those customers in the neighborhood instead of in manhattan. Plus, what they are taking in Manhattan is much smaller in scope than HQ2

— Jason Haber (@jasonhaber) December 6, 2019

“I bet a lot of shopkeepers and store owners in LIC would have loved those customers in the neighborhood instead of in manhattan. Plus, what they are taking in Manhattan is much smaller in scope than HQ2,” tweeted Jason Haber, a real estate entrepreneur.

Another Twitter user, Caleb Hull of Targeted Victory, called Ocasio-Cortez “an idiot” for shifting potential jobs outside her district:

You went from 25,000 Amazon jobs in your district to just 1,500 being offered OUTSIDE your district.

You're an idiot if you think this is a success for your constituents.

— Caleb Hull 🎅🏻🎁 (@CalebJHull) December 7, 2019

Ocasio-Cortez shot back at a critic from the Daily Caller by claiming that Amazon’s initial promise to hire 25,000 people was not guaranteed:

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

“That 25k number was an unsubstantiated #, not a year 1 hiring figure [sic]. Nor was it a promise backed w/ consequences if it wasn’t met,” she tweeted in response to Daily Caller reporter Peter Hasson. “1,500 jobs off the bat is huge, & a much better deal than paying billions for a fairy tale that would’ve displaced many.”

Even Democrat New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was displeased when Amazon decided to pull out of its New York City headquarters in February.

“This is an example of an abuse of corporate power,” claimed de Blasio in an interview with NBC. “Amazon just took their ball and went home. And what they did was confirm people’s worst fears about corporate America.”