Ocasio-Cortez Is Dangerously Ignorant, Hurting Democrats
Ocasio-Cortez Is Dangerously Ignorant, Hurting Democrats. Her repeated gaffes and protests against Democrat plans is extremely damaging and is exemplified by the collapse of the Amazon HQ2 deal in New York City.At first AOC took a leading role in protests against Amazon but later went on to claim that she had little to do with it at all. She cheered for the collapse of a massive investment into New York but more importantly fundamentally misunderstands basic economics.The Amazon deal would have been historic but Ocasio-Cortez was upset that NYC was "giving away 3 billion dollars." She claimed NYC should invest that 3B into teachers and the subway because she doesn't seem to understand that a tax break is not the same as liquid resources to be spent.Republicans and conservatives are often accused of being obsessed with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but in reality they may just be using AOC against the left and Democrats to make the Democrats seem inept and insane.
Support the show (http://timcast.com/donate)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amazon was negotiating with New York City to open up a massive headquarters, a deal that they believed would generate $27 billion in tax revenue over 25 years.
In exchange, Amazon wanted $3 billion in tax breaks, effectively a discount on the revenue they would pay to the city.
Well, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led the charge against them, saying that people were outraged and ultimately Amazon pulled out.
This pissed off New York Democrats.
Ocasio-Cortez went on to claim that the $3 billion tax break could be invested into teachers and the subway because I guess she thinks that a discount is actually cash, but it's not.
And this is the first time Cortez has made a nonsensical statement.
She once claimed an accounting error was money that could be spent.
Many people say that Republicans are obsessed with Ocasio-Cortez.
But I think the real reason that they talk about her so much is not because they're obsessed, but because she is their greatest weapon.
She has over 3 million followers on Twitter, and she repeatedly makes false statements or nonsensical ones.
And so long as the right can paint her as the new face of the Democrats, or one of the most prominent faces, it will damage and fracture the left.
Today, let's take a look at what happened with the Amazon deal, and then I want to show you exactly why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is damaging to the Democrats.
But before we get started, make sure you follow us over at Mines at Mines.com slash Subverse, where we're setting up a distributed newsroom where you can get involved, join the conversation, and effectively discuss certain ideas and stories you think need to be shared.
If you want to support these videos, all you have to do is share them to help spread the message.
First, let's quickly take a look at what happened with Amazon from Fortune.
Amazon cancels New York headquarters plans.
They say Amazon is abandoning plans to build a second headquarters in New York thanks to continued local opposition from certain state legislators.
For Amazon, The commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long term, the company said in a blog post.
While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned.
We will proceed as planned in Northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will continue to hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the U.S.
and Canada, the company said.
Amazon's approach to Headquarters 2 has irked New York lawmakers, particularly those who represent Long Island City.
Like a petulant child, Amazon insists on getting its way or takes its ball and leaves, State Senator Michael Gianaris told the New York Times upon hearing the company's decision to withdraw.
The only thing that happened here is that a community that was going to be profoundly affected by their presence started asking questions.
Back in November, we heard that Amazon would be getting a $3 billion deal.
But what exactly does that mean?
According to Patch.com, they say it's big tax breaks for Amazon.
Amazon will be eligible for up to $1.2 billion in state tax credits for its planned complex on a swath of public and private land along the East River, according to a joint memorandum of understanding between Amazon, the city, its Economic Development Corporation, and Empire State Development, a state agency.
The firm can also claim up to $505 million in grants to subsidize construction of the massive $3.6 billion project, which will eventually comprise at least 4 million square feet, the memo says.
While New York City has not offered Amazon any direct subsidies, the company also plans to take advantage of two city tax breaks that will further sweeten the deal by nearly $1.3 billion.
One is the Relocation and Employment Assistance Program, which offers businesses moving to certain parts of the city a tax credit.
of up to $3,000 per employee for 12 years.
The program will benefit Amazon to the tune of $897 million, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
The other is the Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program,
which provides property tax abatements.
It will be worth nearly $400 million to Amazon, Cuomo said.
In the beginning of the story, they mention, officials are calling Amazon's project
the biggest economic development initiative in city and state history,
as it is expected to create at least 25,000 high-paying jobs
and generate $27.5 billion in tax revenue for the city and state over 25 years.
Following this news, we heard from Politico.
Ocasio-Cortez takes on the Amazon fight in New York.
Ocasio-Cortez is assuming a leadership role in efforts to combat Amazon's plan to build a new headquarters in Queens, an initial test of the incoming House freshmen's clout in her home city.
The 29-year-old progressive darling headlined a closed-press, standing-room-only meeting of activists in Lower Manhattan on Monday near the site of the Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park.
The meeting's purpose, according to those who attended, was to strategize about how to kill Amazon's deal to build a headquarters in Long Island City.
A deal that proponents say would bring at least $25,000 well-paying jobs in exchange for roughly $3 billion in subsidies.
And that brings us to yesterday.
Democratic lawmaker rips opposition to Amazon going into New York.
Now we're protesting jobs.
Rep.
Carolyn Maloney, D., on Friday voiced frustration over Amazon's decision to not open up shop in her New York district, something fellow Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives fiercely opposed.
Meloni said during an appearance on CNN's Outfront that the scrapped move was a missed opportunity and that she was disappointed in the decision while putting part of the blame on progressive politicians who organized against the company.
I'm a progressive too, but I'm pragmatic, she said on CNN, adding that an Amazon headquarters in Queens would have turned the area into a tech hub for the East Coast.
And what did we hear from Ocasio-Cortez?
Well, not only did she lead a protest according to Politico, but she tweeted, anything is possible.
Today was the day a group of dedicated everyday New Yorkers and their neighbors defeated Amazon's corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world.
Yet even people on the left, Democrats, are going after Ocasio-Cortez over her pushing Amazon away.
We've seen reporting that she led these protests, but following the wave of criticism, what did she say?
In response to a tweet that tried to absolve her of any responsibility, she said, I'm laughing at this.
Amazon was not coming to my congressional district, had no concentrated outreach to us that I'm aware of, yet with no effort I defeated the richest man in the world.
Doesn't add up.
Story that's not being told.
The local community organized to reject it.
Which is strange, considering she headlined a closed-press, standing-room-only meeting of activists whose intentions were to kill the deal.
She is the most prominent figure in the protest, and she has millions of followers.
Whether or not Amazon was coming to her district, her influence is not in question.
I think it's fine if you want to criticize Amazon and question the deal.
Even Tucker Carlson on his show said that she made a good point and that it may be the only thing he will agree with her on.
But Ocasio-Cortez's fundamental understanding of what is happening here is flawed, and she's pushing around her massive influence without knowing what's actually happening.
NBC News reported NY politicians at odds over Amazon's decision to pull out of Queens.
Ocasio-Cortez said it shows everyday Americans can have more say than the richest man in
the world.
Cuomo blamed a small group of politicians with narrow political interests.
And what exactly did Ocasio-Cortez say when it was announced?
So frankly, if we were willing to give away $3 billion for this deal, we could invest those $3 billion in our district ourselves if we wanted to.
We could hire out more teachers.
We can fix our subways.
We can put a lot of people to work for that money if we wanted to.
Additionally, those jobs, there was no guarantee that those jobs were for the New Yorkers that were here.
We were looking at a deal that was not primarily putting the community first.
And I think that we can absolutely come together to create an economic plan that actually invests in New Yorkers, in higher wages, and in a dignified life.
Now I'll just quickly address some of those points.
She actually said we could invest that money into teachers and good jobs in the community.
She actually implied that the city was giving away $3 billion.
Sure, I guess you could argue to an extent in the long run the city would be giving up potentially $3 billion in revenue.
But that's not money you can invest.
You can't invest a discount.
If someone comes to my store to purchase something, and I offer them a 10% discount, that doesn't mean I will have 10% of their money to spend on anything.
They've never given me any money.
She also claims the jobs weren't necessarily for New Yorkers.
That's a fine criticism, but it still shows that she doesn't understand even if people relocate to New York City, That income they're generating will still generate income tax that will go to the city.
And with an average of $150,000 per job, that's a substantial amount of tax revenue for the city.
But this is just another example of how Cortez really is bad for the Democrats, and that Republicans are propping her up on purpose.
Not Wokeyleaks on Twitter, which is presumably a parody account, tweeted.
Customer.
I'd like to order 25 pizzas.
I have a $10 off coupon I'd like to use too.
Cortez.
No, you must pay full menu price.
I will not accept your evil coupon.
Customer.
I'll just take my business elsewhere.
Cortez, hey boss, I just saved us $10, can I have a raise?
Cortez responded to this with something that literally makes no sense.
She said more like, I'd like to order 25 pizzas, I made up this $300 off coupon, demand you take it, and if you want to talk about it at all, I'll leave.
Queens, where did this coupon come from?
$300 is too much, who gave this to you?
This is weird.
I told you, $300 off 25 pizzas.
Her tweet is completely nonsensical, and just once again makes her look bad, and makes the Democrats look bad.
A lot of people have criticized me for making so many videos about Cortez, but I'm in kind of a bind.
The more followers she gets, the bigger the impact she has is, and the more I have to address the press that circles her when she does things like this.
She has tremendous influence and weight, and it's only getting bigger the more she does this.
Yes, she was instrumental in pushing Amazon out, whether she wants to admit it now or not.
We constantly hear conservative men are obsessed with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Science tells us why.
Conservatives respond to fear more strongly than liberals do, says one neuroscientist who studies political anxiety.
This is not the only article that pushes this narrative that certain people are obsessed with Cortez.
The reason why I talk about Cortez is because she's constantly doing things that generate press.
But there's a really simple reason what she does generates press.
Republicans are weaponizing her gaffes and nonsense to make Democrats look crazy.
Let's take a look at PolitiFact, which has often been accused of having a left-wing bias.
All statements from Ocasio-Cortez.
Here's one that's half true.
False, false, false, mostly true.
Pants on fire, false.
And this isn't even every comment she's ever made.
She once claimed that 21 trillion dollars in accounting errors could cover 66% of Medicare because she doesn't know what an accounting error is.
She once said that unemployment is low because everyone has two jobs.
This is wrong on so many levels.
No, everyone doesn't have two jobs and that's not how unemployment works.
And this is exemplified when Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, blasted politicians for their role
in pushing away Amazon, saying, a small group of politicians put their own narrow political
interests above the community, which poll after poll showed overwhelmingly supported bringing
Amazon to Long Island City, the state's economic future and the best interests of the people of
the state. The New York State Senate has done tremendous damage. They should be held accountable
for this lost economic opportunity. I'll say it again.
There are actual reasons to criticize Amazon's deal.
And to the people in New York who didn't want it, I respect their opinion.
They're the ones who live there, I don't.
But I want to point out more importantly is it's not about the Amazon deal necessarily.
It's about the fact that you now have Democrats pitted against Democrats.
We've seen the polls.
Most Democrats want moderate policy.
And as Ocasio-Cortez gains more and more traction, she is putting increasing pressure on the Democrats and making them look bad.
Andrew Cuomo, Carolyn Maloney, people are frustrated over Cortez going against their wishes.
And it's also important to point out that when it comes to government funding, which many people criticize Trump over, Cortez and other progressive Democrats are voting no on government spending bills because they want to abolish ICE even when these bills have broad bipartisan support.
It is in the best interest of Republicans and conservatives to continually push the narrative about Ocasio-Cortez because it damages Democrats.
And we're seeing this now front and center.
So look, am I going to talk about Cortez?
Yes, because she's newsworthy and relevant and has millions of followers.
I would prefer not to.
But she's becoming more and more prominent because the left, the tribal far left, wants to prop her up as the new face, and Republicans are laughing all the way to the voting booth on 2020 because this is damaging to Democrats.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
We'll keep the conversation going.
I think this is not a fringe opinion.
I think Democrats, as well as Republicans, know that what I'm saying is likely to be true, but it is just my opinion, so let me know what you think.
We'll keep the conversation going.
You can follow me on Mines at TimCast.
Stay tuned.
New videos every day at 4 p.m., and I'll have more videos on my second channel, youtube.com slash TimCastNews, starting at 6 p.m.
