Keller @ Large: Amazon Was A 'Gift' That Boston Didn't Need
BOSTON (CBS) - It didn't require a crystal ball to see from the beginning that Amazon's self-serving "nationwide search" for a second corporate headquarters site was likely to settle on the Washington, D.C. area.
The single biggest hurdle facing the business models of Amazon and the other emerging tech monopolies is federal anti-trust action, something Amazon will be better positioned to deal with as a major D.C. area employer and with all their lobbyists and lawyers on scene.
And for a mega-company like Amazon, New York City, with its unparalleled access to financial and media institutions, also makes perfect sense.
I suppose it was nice for other cities to fantasize about Amazon pumping investment into their struggling communities in a modern-day corporate remake of "It's A Wonderful Life," but I've got a news flash for all the gullible mayors and governors who were ready to hand over the treasury to Amazon - Jeff Bezos is a big-time businessman, not Jimmy Stewart or Santa Claus.
And what about Boston, allegedly a finalist for the Amazon invasion but left out in the cold? While thousands of high-paying jobs are never something to sneer at, I say this is overall a good news story for us.
To their credit, Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh didn't say how much they'd be willing to ante up to lure Amazon here, which gives them more bargaining leverage when future suitors come calling. They were appropriately skeptical of the disruption Amazon might cause here. And the simple fact is, just as with the Olympics, this was a "gift" Boston didn't really need in the first place.
Good luck to Amazon in its new homes. Hope your workers don't mind following losing sports teams.
Talk back to me me via email at keller@wbztv.com, or use Twitter, @kelleratlarge.