Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Friday that what he calls “political pandering” to critics of Amazon’s proposed secondary headquarters could sink New York’s biggest-ever economic development deal. But opponents say they’ll keep fighting about a project they consider corporate welfare.
The back-and-forth came after The Washington Post reported that Amazon is reconsidering its planned New York City headquarters because of some local politicians’ opposition to the nearly $3 billion incentive package. The report cited two unnamed people familiar with the company’s thinking.
In response, Amazon would say only that it’s engaging with small business owners, community leaders and educators, pointing to its pledges to fund high school computer science classes and contribute to job training.
“We are working hard to demonstrate what kind of neighbor we will be,” the Seattle-based company said in a statement.
Noting the report, Cuomo accused the state Senate – whose leader recently tapped an Amazon critic for a board that might have sway over the project’s subsidies – of “governmental malpractice” and siding with those who are “pandering to the local politics.”