Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a progressive firebrand and vocal supporter of labor, said New Yorkers deserve “dignified jobs” in the aftermath of a scrapped deal to build a second Amazon headquarters in Queens.
“We need to create dignified jobs in New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez said at a ceremonial inauguration ceremony Saturday in the Bronx. “We don’t have to settle for scraps in the greatest city in the world.”
The comments come days after Amazon decided to abandon plans to build a second headquarters in the Long Island City neighborhood in Queens, which Ocasio-Cortez staunchly opposed.
The move was met with fierce backlash from local and national activists who said the move would not create jobs for people already living in the area and would make the community unaffordable for low-income residents. They also excoriated the city for offering a $3 billion tax incentive to the tech behemoth.
The New York Democrat celebrated when Amazon announced it would not go through with the move, praising local organizers’ efforts. – READ MORE