Somebody needed to tell NYC this when they balked at Amazon putting a major office there
threw away 5,000 potential jobs
I mean, they're not thrown away, really. They don't exist in the NYC metro, and instead exist in the D.C. Metro.
Like, 5,000 Americans, somewhere, are employed (I'm unclear if that includes the building of the place, but that's another matter). NYC could've shelled out some taxpayer money as an incentive, and then moved tax revenue from one place to another. If it was in a vacuum, NYC would've paid more than the 13.5 percent cost of living difference to make Amazon more than whole, but chances are Arlington paid something too, so the difference isn't that stark.
There's an interesting game there. In a vaccum, Amazon is taking that to rural Alabama, or something, as you can employ people more cheaply there. But the talent they want is likely not amenable to Gadsden, Alabama (snobs), so they have to go somewhere that's gonna be more pricey.