Amazon plays local governments

In his Nov. 22 letter, Joe Stockman points out the Amazon deal nets the winning locales 50,000 new jobs at $150,000 annually in these high-tax states.

First, I wonder where the $150,000 figure is coming from. A new Google data center in Henderson will net about 50 new jobs paying around $65,000 annually. Mind you, these are computer technology jobs, not folks packing and shipping your new Alexas.

Secondly, has Mr. Stockman considered whether Amazon was going to move forward with the HQ2 expansion regardless of what governments offered? If these local governments would stop with this bribery, the fortunes would still be invested, and the taxpayers wouldn’t be subsidizing the insatiable desire of politicians to pick winners and losers while padding their resumes for re-election.

I usually don’t agree with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren or soon-to-be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But they are right on this issue.