Re:Amazon Plans to Split HQ2 in Two Locations: NY and VA
by dsfyu404ed on Tuesday November 06, 2018 @08:23AM
(#18390710)
>The best hedge against regulatory risk wouldn't be jobs in DC, but jobs that turn a light red state purple, or a purple state blue.
How so? If you turn a state purple or blue you're now at risk of being regulated by the state in addition to federally. Red states are generally hands off when it comes to business.
Re:Amazon Plans to Split HQ2 in Two Locations: NY and VA
by brownbat on Tuesday November 06, 2018 @10:46PM
(#18396962)
Imagine green and purple instead of red and blue.
If you give a state to green, with the power to turn it back purple any time green threatens your workers, you have the policy leadership in a bit of a hostage crisis.
Ideology is flexible in big tents, and everyone is a pragmatist with respect to their constituency. Ds in hunting states are more circumspect on guns and Rs near DC go much easier on federal employees.
Re:Amazon Plans to Split HQ2 in Two Locations: NY and VA
by ianai on Tuesday November 06, 2018 @01:23AM
(#18388825)
I think they’ll get that angle through being an employer at the regional scale of Walmart or similar. Of course they’ll employ fewer people than a big box retail outlet, but they’ll aggregate to enough power for senators/representatives to take notice.
Maybe that's partly why Northern Virginia is a leading candidate, but it seems like there might have been even stronger options.
Having a workforce in a low population swing state could have disproportionate impact on national politics. It could elect Dems, or turn against them if they move to break Amazon up.
(I'm not saying this because I know which party would favor Amazon more, but just because polling suggests tech workers are mostly blue, so I think that's the direction you'd start.)
This is if politics were the only consideration, though I'd wager the main considerations are far more mundane, something actuarial.