‘Giveaways’ debate swirls following Amazon HQ deal

WASHINGTON, D.C: As the winners of the biggest corporate prize in decades — the new Amazon headquarters — relished their victory, debate was still raging over the billions of dollars in incentives offered to attract the fast-growing US technology colossus.

$5 billion investment creating 50,000 new jobs will be split between the Long Island City district in New York and Crystal City, a Virginia community across the Potomac River from the US capital Washington.

what they said would be a major economic boost from Amazon in creating jobs, new facilities and infrastructure, and that the plans would be positive for public coffers.

But critics warned that tax incentives and investments from state and local governments — up to $3 billion in New York and $2.5 billion in Virginia — may outweigh the economic

Amazon’s search for incentives — derided by critics are wrong. Handouts like this to Amazon and other prominent companies are

Farren said subsidies distort the economy

- ny or industry, cities should focus on improvements to education and infrastructure that make them attractive places to live and work.

But Tom Stringer, a corporate real estate

critics of the Amazon deal may not be reading