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Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
I think you misunderstand the criticism. Sure, let's throw in our hat. Why not?
What some people are critical of is the extraordinary and unprecedented lengths municipalities are going to in order to attract Amazon. It's kinda dismaying to see the titanic power of these tech giants, and the wild desperation of cities to do anything to appease them. Amazon is one of the most ruthless companies in the world, whose business strategy resolves around undercutting all competitors, exploiting any competitive advantage it can muster, imposing automation at every step, and treating its employees like disposable widgets in a factory. And we'll throw hundreds of millions or billions at them for the privilege of having them set up shop in our region. The bidding war will get so fierce that it may be decades before the 'winning' city earns back its investment. And as he has always done, Jeff Bezos will chuckle all the way to the bank.
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For a city trying to diversify away from oil and gas and attract non-local businesses (particularly in the tech sector), the Amazon bid is the exact type of opportunity CED should be pursuing. Regardless of one's personal opinion on Amazon as a company, the economic impact of securing such an investment would dramatically change the dynamic of the Calgary economy for generations to come. Our city needs to evolve as the world evolves; this is a potential knock-on-the-door to kickstart that process.
Not pursuing the Amazon bid could actually end up being costlier in the long run.