'Amazon' Cuomo pens open letter to the one that got away: Jeff Bezos

(Bezos image via U.S. Gov and Cuomo courtesy of Zak Seward)

Governor ‘Amazon’ Cuomo reignited his burning Amazon HQ2 desire with an open letter in the NY Times on Friday. The deal to grant upwards of $3 billion in tax subsidies for trillion dollar company, Amazon (owned by the world’s richest man), to build its famed HQ2 in NYC fell through last month in what Cuomo calls the “greatest tragedy” of his time in government.

The letter signed by Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jefferies and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney urges Amazon to reconsider promising “Governor Cuomo will take personal responsibility for the project’s state approval and Mayor de Blasio will work together with the governor to manage the community development process”:

Dear Mr. Bezos:

New Yorkers do not want to give up on the 25,000 permanent jobs, 11,000 union construction and maintenance jobs, and $28 billion in new tax revenues that Amazon was prepared to bring to our state. A clear majority of New Yorkers support this project and were disappointed by your decision not to proceed. We understand that becoming home to the world’s industry leader in e-commerce, logistics and web services would be a tremendous boost for our state’s technology industry, which is our fastest growing generator of new jobs. As representatives of a wide range of government, business, labor and community interests, we urge you to reconsider, so that we can move forward together.

We know the public debate that followed the announcement of the Long Island City project was rough and not very welcoming. Opinions are strong in New York—sometimesstrident. We consider it part of the New York charm! But when we commit to a project as important as this, we figure out how to get it done in a way that works for everyone.

Governor Cuomo will take personal responsibility for the project’s state approval and Mayor de Blasio will work together with the governor to manage the community development process, including the workforce development, public education and infrastructure investments that are necessary to ensure that the Amazon campus will be a tremendous benefit to residents and small businesses in the surrounding communities.

New York attracts the best, most diverse talent from across the globe. We are a dynamic new center of the country’s most inclusive tech economy. We all hope you reconsider and join us in building the exciting future of New York.

The Onion called it two weeks prior:

‘Wait, Mr. Bezos, You Forgot Your Tax Subsidy!’ Says Andrew Cuomo Running Behind Limo https://t.co/RFqlThoBk5 pic.twitter.com/NCCQ16dACR

— The Onion (@TheOnion) February 14, 2019

Cuomo isn’t the only alone in his quest to score an Amazon headquarters: Tempers flared on Friday between a Long Island City restaurant owner and NYC Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer after Josh Bowen, the owner of the John Brown Smokehouse, allegedly sent threatening messages to the Queens rep. to reverse his stance on HQ2.

Josh Bowen, who recently went to Seattle to meet with Amazon sent this text today. It is several threats rolled into one. Demanding an elected official make a call to Amazon by a certain time – or else. This is disgusting. did others get this too? I don’t respond to threats. pic.twitter.com/Txtf53aaiN

— Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) March 1, 2019