This Issue Has Gone Under the Radar in Amazon’s HQ2 Competition

The shortlist of candidate cities for Amazon’s much anticipated and greatly lauded HQ2 is presently heavy on the economically vibrant and motivated cities of North America. Even the provincial capital of Toronto in Canada has made this list. And, of the 20 cities that now remain on the prospect list, two Texas cities have stayed in the queue. These are Dallas and Austin. Yet, there’s one issue that appears to have gone under the radar in Amazon’s HQ2 competition.

Of the batch of cities that have been short-listed, seven are in the northeast quadrant, between Boston, New York, and Washington. Known for their strong urban centers, the area is ripe for the picking, should Amazon choose to go that route. Of the list of 20, Dallas is considered an emerging powerhouse, and the smaller metro area of Austin has also been making strides in its economy that would definitely make it a worthy contender.

Photo: Facebook/The Krazy Coupon Lady

But, one part of this bidding project for Amazon’s HQ2 which has appeared to have flown under the radar is the pitting of city against city for tax and business incentives. Does it strike anyone else as ironic that a company so large as Amazon has sparked such a process? Amazon’s corporate citizenship would be far more valued through working with the winning city in attempts to meet existing challenges such as traffic congestion and affordable housing. Whether this, in fact, becomes the case upon final selection remains to be seen. All led by progressive mayors, the shortlisted cities could do leaps and bounds for their respective populations by not providing tax incentives or added handouts but rather have Amazon make the selection based strictly on city merit, benefitting not only that city but its people as well.