New York Tells Amazon to Drop Dead, Something That Wouldn’t Happen in Texas

One of the most famous headlines about New York City came in the 1970s as the Big Apple was sliding toward bankruptcy and desperate for a federal bailout. When President Gerald Ford declined to open up the federal coffers the New York Daily News offered this summation in large type — “Ford to City: Drop Dead.”We’re reminded of this little bit of history for two reasons. First, by losing HQ2, New York City has just told Amazon, one of the most successful and dynamic companies in the world, to drop dead. And second, the good times never last forever and the next time New York’s economy craters everyone should know it was episodes like this that cost the Big Apple big-time.So let’s hope New York’s progressives are happy. Apparently, it was more important to the short-sighted politicians and activists of Queens and other boroughs to show corporate America who’s boss by staging the latest iteration of what has become a perpetual protest.The problem with that plan was Amazon didn’t need New York nearly as much as New York needs Amazon.  Continue reading...