The world according to Amazon — Newark yes, Houston no

On January 18, Amazon released its short list of 20 candidates still under consideration as the location of HQ2.  Among the 218 losers pared from the list of hopefuls were such metropolises as Leominster, MA, Stonecrest, GA, and Scarborough, Maine.  Oh yes, and Houston, TX, the fourth largest city in the country.  The last time Amazon so publicly humiliated Houston was last January, when Alexa was overheard boldly predicting that the Houston Texans football team would be “publicly executed” by the New England Patriots.  Maybe I should start doing my Christmas shopping on eBay!

For those not keeping track, Amazon invited the cities of North America to submit bids to become the site of their second headquarters.  Besides the prestige of being the home (or second home) of one of the most successful companies on earth, there would be tangible benefits for the winning city as well, as Amazon predicted an influx of 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in construction investment.  It is no wonder that 238 cities submitted their applications, demonstrating how they met the stated criteria: Continue reading →