Ryan’s Journal: Hoping for Salvation
by Ryan Pew
Two news stories have been running through my mind this week.
A few weeks ago Amazon announced their two new locations for HQ2. Queens and Northern Virginia. Both are already heavily populated and expensive places to live.
And, if we are being fair, those cities may not truly benefit from Amazon arriving. Time will tell of course, but a greater impact might have occurred had Amazon chosen a medium sized city.
I recall the madness/hope by city leaders all around the nation. They lobbied, made promises and petitioned for Amazon to arrive and help their city thrive.
I live in St Petersburg, FL and we have a growing tech scene. We also have an MLB baseball stadium with low attendance and in a prime part of the city. Our proposal to Amazon included tearing that park down and leasing the 80 acres at a reduced cost to Amazon. I’m sure other cities made comparable offers.
All in an effort for salvation from one company.
You hear the other side of it too. GM is closing five plants. Tens of thousands of skilled employees are now laid off. Those were good jobs, too, for the area.
They are the anchor companies that allow the baker, the book store and the banks to survive. When those plants came to those cities it was salvation. People had a job, benefits and could raise a family.
I understand that companies come and go. I firmly believe in the free market and realize that companies are not charities. They are profit driven and make decisions based on the bottom line.
My point to all of this is that cities cannot rely on one industry alone. They need diversity. Salvation is not found in any one company.
What do you put your faith in?
Image credit: Joe Wolf
