Amazon narrows its list of cities for its second HQ

[Herman Cain]

I was in downtown Denver the other day. Hadn't been there for many years. Was impressed by what they have done. They have a nice light rail system that actually runs frequently and goes where people want to go.

[MU82]

Late to the conversation.

Charlotte was one of the cities supposedly in the running for HQ2 but ended up not even being a finalist. Leaders here were especially miffed that Raleigh made the cut instead of Charlotte. I am not invested in the decision at all, and frankly I am sick of reading/hearing about it (though I understand why others are interested in it).

I am more interested in the related conversation about living in urban areas such as Chicago.

We lived in the city for 16 years - 1994 to 2010. It was not just a good place to raise kids, but a GREAT place. They went to wonderful, diverse schools; learned how to get along with people of all races, creeds, religions, nationalities and gender identifications; learned how to take public transportation and otherwise fend for themselves; benefited from the many things to do; etc. My son, now 30, still lives there with the woman he will be marrying next month. She teaches school in Northbrook and he works in Westchester, but they prefer to live in the city - yep, they are among the thousands and thousands of "reverse commuters." I think my son would rather stay in the city forever, but his wife-to-be was raised in the burbs and I'm guessing they'll be suburbanites after they have kids.

We were fortunate to move to Chicago when a house in a good neighborhood could still be purchased by a middle-class family. We bought our tiny, 3BR, 1-bath bungalow (yep, for a family of 4!) near Lane Tech for $230K in 1994. That house has since been sold a couple of times, most recently a few years ago for nearly $1 million. (Although we did well when we sold it in 2004, we would have been much smarter to keep it as a rental property or something.) So yeah, it's tough to afford decent housing in some of the better neighborhoods nowadays.

As mentioned by LAZER and maybe a couple others, there are some great magnet schools - my kids attended Payton, part of their second and third graduating classes - but you have to test into them, and there are other factors in getting into them, too. Due to its size, Lane is easier to get into, but it's still not a slam dunk.

So it's perfectly understandable why many would choose the burbs for more affordable housing and more available good schooling. It's a shame, though, because the nice parts of Chicago make for such a great environment for kids.

[WhiteTrash]

I was in downtown Denver the other day. Hadn't been there for many years. Was impressed by what they have done. They have a nice light rail system that actually runs frequently and goes where people want to go.

I live in Denver and I doubt Amazon comes here. First, I assume they would want HQ2 further east. Just my hunch. Second, I don't think Denver is as hungry for Amazon as the other cities are. Most here are luke warm on the idea. We have amazing growth as it is. This is a great place to live, great schools, great economy, stable state budget, low crime. Frankly we don't need Amazon. If they come it will be good but Colorado will be just fine without Amazon.

p.s. The residents of Colorado would appreciate you not telling anyone what I wrote above. We think there are enough people here already.

[Eldon]

Tech salaries in LA and Austin are catching up with Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is notorious for its stratospheric tech salaries and cost of living to match. But a new tech salary report released by jobs site Hired.com on Thursday indicates that companies in tech hubs elsewhere, such as Los Angeles and Austin, are quietly raising salaries to become more competitive.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tech-salaries-la-austin-catching-silicon-valley-130049739.html

______

I figured that this may be as good a spot as any to post this. 

[jesmu84]

Amazon bout to dominate another market

https://www.barstoolsports.com/newyork/amazon-is-getting-ready-to-launch-a-delivery-service-to-compete-with-ups-and-fedex-as-jeff-bezos-continues-his-plan-for-world-domination

Yes, I know this came out last week

[Pakuni]

Amazon bout to dominate another market

https://www.barstoolsports.com/newyork/amazon-is-getting-ready-to-launch-a-delivery-service-to-compete-with-ups-and-fedex-as-jeff-bezos-continues-his-plan-for-world-domination

Yes, I know this came out last week

Will it be as successful and the Fire phone?

[Tugg Speedman]

Will it be as successful and the Fire phone?

Or as dominant and the echo?

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=55514.msg986078#msg986078

[dgies9156]

There are some great magnet schools - my kids attended Payton, part of their second and third graduating classes - but you have to test into them, and there are other factors in getting into them, too.

That is called supporting your alderman!

I agree with what you say, but I would note that when my two children went to Libertyville High School, we didn't worry about testing or whether they would get in. It was and is a world class public education. Trust me -- we pay through the nose for it!

Plus, our children had learning disabilities (they were adopted from orphanages overseas) and for LD students, the Chicago Public Schools are not viable answers. There was no way our children could have received the help they needed from CPS if we had lived in Chicago. Period! The support they received at LHS was routine.

So good was Libertyville that my daughter is about to be graduated from college and my son is almost halfway through.

I agree that living in Chicago opens more eyes and gives a broader exposure to people who have different customs, thoughts and views about the world. That's the good side. But the incompetence in city government, rampart waste, crime concerns and uncertain affordability makes the downside real for many people. Yeah, my suburb is boring. But it is reasonably well run, crime is low and it is close to both Milwaukee and Chicago if we want to go into the city (and we often do).

[Benny B]

That is called supporting your alderman!

I agree with what you say, but I would note that when my two children went to Libertyville High School, we didn't worry about testing or whether they would get in. It was and is a world class public education. Trust me -- we pay through the nose for it!

Plus, our children had learning disabilities (they were adopted from orphanages overseas) and for LD students, the Chicago Public Schools are not viable answers. There was no way our children could have received the help they needed from CPS if we had lived in Chicago. Period! The support they received at LHS was routine.

So good was Libertyville that my daughter is about to be graduated from college and my son is almost halfway through.

I agree that living in Chicago opens more eyes and gives a broader exposure to people who have different customs, thoughts and views about the world. That's the good side. But the incompetence in city government, rampart waste, crime concerns and uncertain affordability makes the downside real for many people. Yeah, my suburb is boring. But it is reasonably well run, crime is low and it is close to both Milwaukee and Chicago if we want to go into the city (and we often do).

And just a few miles north, Warren Township and Lindenhurst also offer tremendous support for LD and special needs students without the Libertyville price tag.  Plenty of housing options in/around Wildwood & Gages Lake for working class households.

[MU82]

That is called supporting your alderman!

I agree with what you say, but I would note that when my two children went to Libertyville High School, we didn't worry about testing or whether they would get in. It was and is a world class public education. Trust me -- we pay through the nose for it!

Plus, our children had learning disabilities (they were adopted from orphanages overseas) and for LD students, the Chicago Public Schools are not viable answers. There was no way our children could have received the help they needed from CPS if we had lived in Chicago. Period! The support they received at LHS was routine.

So good was Libertyville that my daughter is about to be graduated from college and my son is almost halfway through.

I agree that living in Chicago opens more eyes and gives a broader exposure to people who have different customs, thoughts and views about the world. That's the good side. But the incompetence in city government, rampart waste, crime concerns and uncertain affordability makes the downside real for many people. Yeah, my suburb is boring. But it is reasonably well run, crime is low and it is close to both Milwaukee and Chicago if we want to go into the city (and we often do).

I can't argue with a single word you say here. You obviously made the right choice for your family. Congratulations for their success. You and your wife clearly are great parents!

[dgies9156]

I can't argue with a single word you say here. You obviously made the right choice for your family. Congratulations for their success. You and your wife clearly are great parents!

Thank you. That was kind of you to say.

Please understand we're not criticizing anyone's choices. We're actually thinking about moving into the city after our children move out and move on (after college). The things that appeal to you appeal to us as well and we're trying to figure out how to get what we want for a price commensurate with our suburban home.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I Found this after I posted my comment.  Oh, and I left out the trend that millennials, as a group, seem not to like sex much either-maybe because of the trophy thing or the wood chips/rubber mat phenomenon under the monkey, wait, parallel bars?  Probably cuz it could be a little dangerous?  This is what the internet will do to ya I guess.  Oh, They must mean with other people though, or something😳

https://www.livescience.com/38061-millennials-generation-y.html

Do your posts make sense to you?

[Tugg Speedman]

This is fantastic!  Whatever “sell your soul” deal you give to Amazon, JP Morgan wants the same or they are leaving your state.

Imagine Chicago sells their soul to get HQ2.  Then JP Morgan, who has their Midwest Chase operations headquartered in Chicago wants to same sell you soul deal.  If not, the new Midwest HQ for JP Morgan is Indy!

After them, these Fortune 500 companies with HQs in Chicago will want the same sell your soul deal or, Hello Milwaukee!

Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Archer Daniels Midland.
Boeing.
Caterpillar Inc.
State Farm Insurance.
Abbott Laboratories.
Sears Holdings.
McDonalds
United Continental Holdings.

So congratulations you won Amazon.  Your reward is you bankrupted your City!!!

I love it when someone is outsmarted at their own game.


Dimon says he'll fight for tax breaks Amazon gets for HQ2
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180227/NEWS01/180229905/dimon-says-hell-fight-for-tax-breaks-amazon-gets-for-hq2#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccb-breakingnews&utm_campaign=ccb-breakingnews-20180227

Jamie Dimon wants the Jeff Bezos deal.

The CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which employs more than 250,000 workers, said he'll call the governor of whichever state Amazon.com Inc. picks for its second headquarters and try to get the same benefits.

“I'm not kidding,” Dimon said. “You gotta fight for your company, folks, just keep that in mind. If you don't, no one else does."

Governors, mayors and bureaucrats across the U.S. and Canada have rolled out tax breaks and marketing campaigns to try to win Seattle-based Amazon's second corporate seat, a project that's expected to cost more than $5 billion and create 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. Amazon narrowed the list to 20 cities last month and plans to make a decision this year.

[Eldon]

This is fantastic!  Whatever “sell your soul” deal you give to Amazon, JP Morgan wants the same or they are leaving your state.

Imagine Chicago sells their soul to get HQ2.  Then JP Morgan, who has their Midwest Chase operations headquartered in Chicago wants to same sell you soul deal.  If not, the new Midwest HQ for JP Morgan is Indy!

After them, these Fortune 500 companies with HQs in Chicago will want the same sell your soul deal or, Hello Milwaukee!

Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Archer Daniels Midland.
Boeing.
Caterpillar Inc.
State Farm Insurance.
Abbott Laboratories.
Sears Holdings.
McDonalds
United Continental Holdings.

So congratulations you won Amazon.  Your reward is you bankrupted your City!!!

I love it when someone is outsmarted at their own game.


Dimon says he'll fight for tax breaks Amazon gets for HQ2
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180227/NEWS01/180229905/dimon-says-hell-fight-for-tax-breaks-amazon-gets-for-hq2#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccb-breakingnews&utm_campaign=ccb-breakingnews-20180227

Jamie Dimon wants the Jeff Bezos deal.

The CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which employs more than 250,000 workers, said he'll call the governor of whichever state Amazon.com Inc. picks for its second headquarters and try to get the same benefits.

“I'm not kidding,” Dimon said. “You gotta fight for your company, folks, just keep that in mind. If you don't, no one else does."

Governors, mayors and bureaucrats across the U.S. and Canada have rolled out tax breaks and marketing campaigns to try to win Seattle-based Amazon's second corporate seat, a project that's expected to cost more than $5 billion and create 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. Amazon narrowed the list to 20 cities last month and plans to make a decision this year.

Ah yes, the good ol Joe-Flacco Effect (A-Rod: "Well hell, if Flacco is getting $20 mil, I want $25)

[jesmu84]

This is fantastic!  Whatever “sell your soul” deal you give to Amazon, JP Morgan wants the same or they are leaving your state.

Imagine Chicago sells their soul to get HQ2.  Then JP Morgan, who has their Midwest Chase operations headquartered in Chicago wants to same sell you soul deal.  If not, the new Midwest HQ for JP Morgan is Indy!

After them, these Fortune 500 companies with HQs in Chicago will want the same sell your soul deal or, Hello Milwaukee!

Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Archer Daniels Midland.
Boeing.
Caterpillar Inc.
State Farm Insurance.
Abbott Laboratories.
Sears Holdings.
McDonalds
United Continental Holdings.

So congratulations you won Amazon.  Your reward is you bankrupted your City!!!

I love it when someone is outsmarted at their own game.


Dimon says he'll fight for tax breaks Amazon gets for HQ2
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180227/NEWS01/180229905/dimon-says-hell-fight-for-tax-breaks-amazon-gets-for-hq2#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccb-breakingnews&utm_campaign=ccb-breakingnews-20180227

Jamie Dimon wants the Jeff Bezos deal.

The CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which employs more than 250,000 workers, said he'll call the governor of whichever state Amazon.com Inc. picks for its second headquarters and try to get the same benefits.

“I'm not kidding,” Dimon said. “You gotta fight for your company, folks, just keep that in mind. If you don't, no one else does."

Governors, mayors and bureaucrats across the U.S. and Canada have rolled out tax breaks and marketing campaigns to try to win Seattle-based Amazon's second corporate seat, a project that's expected to cost more than $5 billion and create 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. Amazon narrowed the list to 20 cities last month and plans to make a decision this year.

Morons (the cities). I mean, no more-so than any other tax credits/breaks/etc. Just this time it's extreme and public.

[Benny B]

I still can't believe the pundits haven't caught on to this already.  It's a three horse race - both literally (in the semi-figurative, or literally figurative sense) and figuratively - between DC, DC and DC.


CNBC can't go thirty minutes without some mention of "Amazon" and "anti-trust" in the same sentence.

[MU82]

This is fantastic!  Whatever “sell your soul” deal you give to Amazon, JP Morgan wants the same or they are leaving your state.

Imagine Chicago sells their soul to get HQ2.  Then JP Morgan, who has their Midwest Chase operations headquartered in Chicago wants to same sell you soul deal.  If not, the new Midwest HQ for JP Morgan is Indy!

After them, these Fortune 500 companies with HQs in Chicago will want the same sell your soul deal or, Hello Milwaukee!

Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Archer Daniels Midland.
Boeing.
Caterpillar Inc.
State Farm Insurance.
Abbott Laboratories.
Sears Holdings.
McDonalds
United Continental Holdings.

So congratulations you won Amazon.  Your reward is you bankrupted your City!!!

I love it when someone is outsmarted at their own game.


Dimon says he'll fight for tax breaks Amazon gets for HQ2
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180227/NEWS01/180229905/dimon-says-hell-fight-for-tax-breaks-amazon-gets-for-hq2#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccb-breakingnews&utm_campaign=ccb-breakingnews-20180227

Jamie Dimon wants the Jeff Bezos deal.

The CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which employs more than 250,000 workers, said he'll call the governor of whichever state Amazon.com Inc. picks for its second headquarters and try to get the same benefits.

“I'm not kidding,” Dimon said. “You gotta fight for your company, folks, just keep that in mind. If you don't, no one else does."

Governors, mayors and bureaucrats across the U.S. and Canada have rolled out tax breaks and marketing campaigns to try to win Seattle-based Amazon's second corporate seat, a project that's expected to cost more than $5 billion and create 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. Amazon narrowed the list to 20 cities last month and plans to make a decision this year.

Wow, Smuggles, you'd think you never heard of "the free market" before!

[Tugg Speedman]

Wow, Smuggles, you'd think you never heard of "the free market" before!

What is this concept you speak of?

Sounds interesting, I would if anyone actually tried it.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Aren't we still bailing out Morgan Chase from 2008?

[JWags85]

Aren't we still bailing out Morgan Chase from 2008?

Nah, they paid their TARP money back pretty quick. All things considered, Dimon navigated them through that mess pretty smoothly.

[NorthernDancerColt]

Nah, they paid their TARP money back pretty quick. All things considered, Dimon navigated them through that mess pretty smoothly.

One man's "navigation" is another's "commodities manipulation."
If rigged markets are your thing, Jamie's your guy. See the massive disparity of paper silver ETFs vs physical holdings. Ron Paul would be happy to explain how skillfully Dimon props up the fiat at the expense of real money.

[jfmu]

This is fantastic!  Whatever “sell your soul” deal you give to Amazon, JP Morgan wants the same or they are leaving your state.

Imagine Chicago sells their soul to get HQ2.  Then JP Morgan, who has their Midwest Chase operations headquartered in Chicago wants to same sell you soul deal.  If not, the new Midwest HQ for JP Morgan is Indy!

After them, these Fortune 500 companies with HQs in Chicago will want the same sell your soul deal or, Hello Milwaukee!

Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Archer Daniels Midland.
Boeing.
Caterpillar Inc.
State Farm Insurance.
Abbott Laboratories.
Sears Holdings.
McDonalds
United Continental Holdings.

So congratulations you won Amazon.  Your reward is you bankrupted your City!!!

I love it when someone is outsmarted at their own game.


Dimon says he'll fight for tax breaks Amazon gets for HQ2
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180227/NEWS01/180229905/dimon-says-hell-fight-for-tax-breaks-amazon-gets-for-hq2#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccb-breakingnews&utm_campaign=ccb-breakingnews-20180227

Jamie Dimon wants the Jeff Bezos deal.

The CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which employs more than 250,000 workers, said he'll call the governor of whichever state Amazon.com Inc. picks for its second headquarters and try to get the same benefits.

“I'm not kidding,” Dimon said. “You gotta fight for your company, folks, just keep that in mind. If you don't, no one else does."

Governors, mayors and bureaucrats across the U.S. and Canada have rolled out tax breaks and marketing campaigns to try to win Seattle-based Amazon's second corporate seat, a project that's expected to cost more than $5 billion and create 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. Amazon narrowed the list to 20 cities last month and plans to make a decision this year.

Pretty sure no one is giving anything to CAT and their 50 employees in Deerfield

[mikekinsellaMVP]

Millennials are old news. The YZ Cusp (born 1995-2000) is starting to join the work force and Gen Z (born after 2000) is right behind.  What Gen Z becomes remains to be seen.  Those starting to cater to millennials are behind the curve.  Younger millennials will be transitioning from young & single to the family years.  It'll be interesting to see how their living habits change over the next 5-10 years.  My experience: Older millennials are starting to flock to the suburbs. Whether that is a widespread trend or not, I don't know.

New census numbers are out:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/retirees-reshape-where-americans-live-1521691261

Suburbs are drawing more Americans who are being priced out of expensive urban cores, and pulling in millennials and younger members of Generation X who are settling down to start families or have more children.

The suburban population of large metropolitan areas grew 1% last year. Domestic migration into such counties has tripled over the past five years, reaching 265,000 last year, census figures show.

America’s big cities continue to grow, with their population rising 0.7% in 2017. But that growth is now on par with the country on the whole after years of outpacing it, and is primarily because immigrants keep arriving there. In the past five years, large U.S. cities have gone from drawing people from the rest of the country to in 2017 losing 437,000 domestic migrants as residents flow to suburbs or uproot for midsize cities.

...

While birthrates among millennial women remain low, there are signs that some who put off having children after the recession are now going forward with it. Among women ages 30 to 34, the birthrate in 2016 rose to its highest level since 1964, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures released in January. This age group had children at a higher rate than women ages 25 to 29 for the first time since the government began tracking the figures reliably in 1940.

[GGGG]

So IOW, millennials are doing exactly what their predecessors did...but are just doing it later.  Hardly surprising.

[MU82]

My daughter (31) and my son (30) got married in the last 6 months (not to each other; this ain't Kentucky!).

My daughter and her husband loved renting right in the city of Seattle but when it came time to buy a few months ago, they did so in a suburb. They plan to have kids very soon.

My son and his new bride (just married 14 days ago) have been renting on Chicago's North Side and are just starting to consider buying. They hope to stay in the city but aren't sure. They also want to have kids fairly soon.

All four young people (my kids and their spouses) are gainfully employed, all are good people who contribute to society, all very responsible. I get sick of reading about how "entitled" or "spoiled" or whatever that Millennials are. Not saying that's what folks are doing here. Just saying that, in general, I hate generalizations!