I'm a long time Arlington resident and my significant other is employed in an administrative capacity at the County's Economic Development Office on Glebe Road.
If you wondered why Chair Katie is being coy about the total cost of the secret corporate welfare giveaway to Amazon it's because the deal will cost Arlington taxpayers more than $3 billion.
Succinctly, here's what Amazon's getting from the County: a $500 million direct corporate welfare stipend from the County, another $500 million in tax breaks, and at least $2 billion in new infrastructure (e.g., schools) to serve the needs and wants of 50,000 new residents who would live in Arlington by 2025 associated in some way with Amazon.
Amazon is looking to build a second headquarters every bit as as extravagant as Amazon's Seattle Headquarters. So you can kiss the "urban village" goodbye if the County Board and Economic Development succeed in bribing Amazon to locate another headquarters here. Here's a photo of Amazon's Seattle HQ, in the event you've never seen it.
Thanks for your blog.
Ted 22205
