Protesters disrupt Amazon's New York City Council hearing announcing initiatives
LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens (WABC) -- Amazon is continuing to make its case to draw more support for its new headquarters in Queens, unveiling a series of community initiatives and strategies to boost its image in front of the New York City Council Wednesday.
But this second hearing, just as the first, was disrupted by protesters who unfurled a banner reading "Amazon Lies."
Protesters expressed anger after officials offered billions of dollars in tax breaks and grants to the company to select Queens.
Amazon is now working to sell its project by saying it will hire public housing residents to work at a customer service center and will establish a program at a community college to help students get those entry-level jobs.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, who once said he would change his name to get Amazon to come to Long Island City, is now warning that if Amazon doesn't sell the project, the whole deal could be blocked.
"Well, the City council Can thwart it, the state legislature could thwart it," he said. "They could generate enough, theoretically, they could pass a law stopping it. So don't assume that the pluses of a program are obvious or will win."
Amazon has sent out fliers in the surrounding community they hope will help sway the public. They announced that their company will bring $27 billion in economic activity and at least 25,000 new jobs to the city, and that it will cost taxpayers $3 billion in incentives.
New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson fired back at Amazon officials, saying that the $27 billion figure is wildly inflated and didn't include the cost of additional police resources and a needed subway expansion.
Johnson also accused Amazon of being anti-union.
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