Reader: Amazon Should Be Courting Us, Not the Other Way Around

As Amazon mulls over the location of its second headquarters, Denver making the shortlist has generated conversations about growth, affordability and, of course, natives vs. newcomers. Intriguing to you, dear reader, is the idea that states on the shortlist must court the Internet retailer, and the possible drawbacks and perks of a major American company building an outpost in Denver.

It’s a tricky debate. Surely Denver would benefit from the prestige (and bump in our tax base), but our already-squeezed housing market couldn’t bear the weight. So while Amazon keeps weighing its options, readers weigh in. Says Scott:

I sit in class while writing this (don’t tell my professor), and I was caught by the conversations we were having about the possibility of Amazon HQ2 anchoring itself in Denver. I am a born and raised native and I could not be more excited about the possibility of Amazon moving here, let alone just selecting us to be a top 20. When I graduate in two years (hopefully) I want to work and live in a thriving Colorado, one that sets a national example of what a modern city should be. Denver has an opportunity to succeed but, we can only do this with a heavy dose of strategery. I want to have Amazon, but only if we plan on doing it right. The creation of a Denver/Colorado Strategic Plan with a purpose of mitigating negative impacts of such rapid-expansion would prove to be necessary and involvement from infrastructure-maniacs, policy-wonks, economic-pioneers, and business-leaders is all but too needed. Your move Denver. Do it right.

Argues Susan:

Our real estate prices are already high, I can’t see bringing more people into Colorado. If they were required to choose people here, I wouldn’t be opposed to them coming here. However I’m still opposed to getting a hundred million dollars in tax benefits. They should be giving that to the city.

Explains Jason:

“The problem with sweetening the deal is that you have to give them some sugar. And in this process, you become sour yourself.” -Lao Tzu (not really Lao Tzu)

Posits Alex:

Amazon will bring jobs here and tax revenue at the very least from taxing wages, but I agree that Amazon should be courting us and not us courting amazon.

Says Mike: