These are great. Thanks for the resources

For sure. We’re definitely in the second Gilded Age but the robber barons don’t wear monocles anymore. I think a lot of it comes down to the misalignment of power where a business like Amazon is able to lobby and dictate the terms of contracts while providing very little in concrete guarantees to these local governments.

You mean other than the systemic corruption of the monied interests backing these companies who control our political system.

I think I’m going to do this. I’ve also thought about calling local papers to see if anyone is covering it.

I agree from a purely business perspective it’s not so much shady as it is ill advised and gluttonous. I look at it more from a public good perspective in that this happens and has happened everywhere all the time forever. Companies promise jobs and investment but local governments fail to negotiate firm commitments and these benefits don’t materialize, leaving the communities with less resources, less competition, and the lost opportunity of these locations being used productively.

Yup. They confirmed they were shutting down 5 operating warehouses last summer and paused the Amazon fresh expansion nationwide in February.

This seems like a good place to plug an amazingly informative book on this subject that I think all Americans need to read. “The Privatization of Everything” by Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian.

The one article I could find mentioned that city some towns signed NDAs with the company

ThNk you!!

It’s exactly what happened. Short sighted indeed as these expanding companies’ CEOs went on CNBC yelling about inflation and knowing low interest money would go away soon. But for a company like Amazon tying up these properties in desirable areas is a net positive as it now bars competition from using that space and allows them to consolidate. The public will feel the most consequences.

I just the question the logic from a public governance view. Why would you want a grocery chain in your local community that is almost entirely automated and tracks your biometrics and face while you’re inside.

Yeah I’m in Leominster now I walk by it everyday. The site is open and there’s no cameras anywhere. I also coincidentally used to live by the Worcester warehouse as well and I think your friend is right about it never opening. They announced at the end of last year they were closing 5 around the state that had opened because they overgrew. It just kind of sucks and it really makes me question the rationale of the officials green lighting these projects.

Yeah this is the only article there is and all it says is no one knows anything. I agree I think the buildings will just sit empty now. The one near me is completely unsecure and has no cameras around it at all so it doesn’t seem to be of much concern to the company. As to the subsidies you may be right but Amazon is notorious for demanding consideration from local governments for its warehouses so I’m skeptical. And that’s to say nothing of the opacity of our state government.