I spent some time on Google yesterday scanning the growing list of local stories on efforts to lure the Amazon HQ2 project that calls for a corporate complex somewhere outside its hometown of Seattle.
Delaware has vowed join the effort to lure the headquarters that could employ 50,000 people and occupy millions of square feet.
I gave up my search after looking through several dozen stories. I found that other than the nation’s Empty Quarter – the Dakotas, Montana, etc. – virtually every metro area of any size is putting in a bid for HQ2.
Along the way, I saw an outpouring of civic pride that sees Amazon as a replacement for the thousands of well-paying jobs that have been lost over the years at hometown companies that slimmed down or disappeared.
Never mind that many of the cities making their pitch barely met the guidelines in Amazon’s invitation.
Northern Delaware doesn’t make the million population minimum, although it can make the case that it is part of one of the nation’s six largest metro areas.
Delaware can also check off some other boxes that other candidates would have to leave blank.
As I stated earlier, Delaware had little choice but to make a bid for Amazon. Doing nothing would not have reflected well on the state and in looking through the summary from the company, there is nothing wrong with taking a shot. – Doug Rainey, publisher.
