Costs, benefits and all things Amazon.

Just as I was reading articles about Amazon -- opposition in NYC and the larger-scale damage done -- news started arriving: Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Headquarters.

Some thoughts via Twitter:

Justin Miller: Amazon didn't need New York's talent, they wanted New York's dollars. That's what they're admitting here.

United Black Front: "Amazon is the richest corporation in the world,” Zachary Lerner says in Long Island City. “There’s no reason that we should have ever considered giving $3 billion to this corporation to come to New York City."

Every Billionaire Is A Policy Failure: Here's the thing: Amazon is still perfectly welcome to build in NYC--always has been. They just have to give up the bullying. You can't have a "positive, collaborative relationship" with a community if your terms are 'pay our $3B bribe or we're out.'

Consequently, this story is a tad obsolete.

"Don't Let Door Hit You on the Way Out": People Power Credited as Amazon Reportedly Reconsiders New York HQ2, by Jake Johnson (Common Dreams)

"Can everyday people come together and effectively organize against creeping overreach of one of the world's biggest corporations? Yes, they can," says Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

In the face of widespread and impassioned opposition from local politicians, progressive members of Congress, and ordinary New Yorkers, Amazon is reportedly having second thoughts about its plan to locate a second headquarters site in Long Island City.

"Can everyday people come together and effectively organize against creeping overreach of one of the world's biggest corporations? Yes, they can," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) declared on Friday in response to the news, which was met with glee by advocacy groups that have opposed the New York government's deal with Amazon since it was unveiled in November.

"Bye, don't let the door hit you on your way out," wrote the North Brooklyn branch of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), echoing a sentiment that was shared across social media.

"Our community's organizing is paying off! Let's keep it going!" added Make the Road New York, a state-level advocacy group ...

And why it matters.

New Study Shows Full Cost of Explosive Amazon Growth on Communities Nationwide

When Amazon recently closed its books on 2018, it made headlines with a third straight year of record-making profits. However, a new exclusive analysis from Civic Economics and the American Booksellers Association makes clear that the titanic growth of the world’s most valuable public company has resulted in as-yet-unrecognized loss and stagnation for America's cities, towns, and local communities.

The new report — Prime Numbers: Amazon and American Communities — quantifies the stark economic cost exacted nationwide as a result of Amazon's online retail sales.

Reviewing the most recent four years of Amazon's U.S. retail sales, Prime Numbers documents that in 2018 alone Amazon and its third-party vendors sold $189 billion of retail goods. The report’s analysis reveals that the nationwide results of those sales were:

• 540 million square feet of displaced retail space,
• 900,000 displaced retail jobs, and
• $5.5 billion to $7.0 billion in uncollected sales tax.
• For the period of 2014–2018, the cumulative loss in uncollected sales tax is estimated to be as high as $22.5 billion.

In contrast, Prime Numbers also documents the enhanced positive impact of locally owned, independent businesses for communities, as compared to both chain competitors and Amazon and its third-party Marketplace vendors.

Looking at the most recent numbers for the independent bookstore channel nationwide, the study reports that approximately 28 percent of all revenue of indie bookstores immediately recirculates in the local economy. This translates into a massive local impact advantage of 610 percent over Amazon (which recirculates only 4 percent locally) ...

Reisz Elephant people power tonight? If we're to spend $10,000,000 on anything, it should be for as many people as possible, not one single government building.

Regardless of the outcome of tonight's city council meeting, with a third and final vote scheduled to endorse or reject the Reisz Elephant city hall relocation project, June of 2018 will be remembered as the month when Emperor Gahan's personality cult paraded past and the voice of a child rang out:

"But he isn't wearing anything at all!"

In future years, we'll look back and see an uninterrupted arc of hypocrisy, beginning with Gahan's hostile takeover of the New Albany Housing Authority in early 2017 alongside promises of rampant demolitions to come, and now culminating with tonight's fix-is-in $10,000,000 to construct his own luxury office suite.

A pretend Democrat of the most abominable variety, Gahan's reign of self-aggrandizement has now reached its orgasmic apogee, and these words of Kevin Baker in Harper's, intended to describe the New York City he remembers, apply just as accurately to Nawbany -- or as we refer to it, New Gahania.

"Back when the city endeavored to serve its people instead of just weed them out if they didn’t make enough money."

Allow me to summarize the arguments in opposition to Gahan's Reisz Elephant Luxury City Hall, as presented in these pages over the past three weeks, but as a preface, just a brief word about the nature of politics.

Several times recently, I've been scolded for having the unmitigated gall as a non-office-holder to so much as participate in the political process, by people who insist the Reisz Elephant is about historic preservation, and therefore not political at all.

These people simply are delusional.

The practice of politics is making decisions about power; what happens and doesn't, and who benefits -- and doesn't.

The basic family unit is purely political in the sense of determining how its members are to proceed through life, by means of budgeting, shared responsibilities, delegated authority and numerous other decisions. The city is intended to work in like fashion -- and periodically, it even does.

I've run for office, attended meetings and endeavored to "do my homework." My household is located within city limits, pays taxes, and does its small part to make New Albany a better place.

We're ordinary people, and ordinary people needn't ever listen to the scoldings of self-appointed elites and governing cliques, which arguably are more virulent in a small town than a large one. We -- YOU -- have every right to participate in this process, rich or poor, big or little.

And make no mistake: at present, a remarkably small number of people are making all the decisions. Team Gahan is a clique by the classic definition, an insular sociopolitical group that thinks it knows better than you.

But you have every right to participate in politics with whatever legal tools are at your disposal (illegality is another topic, along with civil disobedience).

The "ins" always seek to define the propriety of the "outs," and you have every right to protest their limitations with words, signs, your own physical presence and your voice.

They're no better than you. They only think they're wearing clothes.

---

With the advent of the Reisz Elephant, we find the few with their pricey luxury wants versus the many and their everyday basic needs.

At a time when citizens are suffering, basic human conscience seemingly dictates our working together in search of solutions, rather than building walls -- as Jeff Gahan seems intent to do with regard to county government, hurting the downtown economy in the process.

Breaking down the Reisz bait 'n' switch, my ON THE AVENUES column of June 21 has become the year's most read, and it offers an overview.

Government Lives Matter, so it's $10,000,000 for Gahan's luxury city hall clique enhancement. Happy dumpster diving, peasants!

However, it's not too late to reformat and democratize the project. Denton Floyd has done "pre-development" work, but a "no" vote by council will revert Reisz to the city and allow a do-over.

As for the vote itself, it shouldn't be taken unless absentee Wile E. Gahan deigns to appear before the legislative branch and put some skin in his own game for once -- and David Barksdale can restore his political integrity by recusing himself.

As it stands, Barksdale and the city's contingent of historic preservationists are having their pockets picked by a mayor with absolutely no interest in old buildings, but who possesses epochal campaign finance avarice and a fetish for provocation that eerily echoes Donald Trump's.

An example of how the city can accomplish more by spending less has been suggested by CM Scott Blair by encouraging the private sector to rehabilitate the Reisz, freeing the city to build a new city hall on land it already owns.

The best place to begin a community dialogue is the notoriously secretive Redevelopment Commission, which must be opened to public scrutiny. Redevelopment's rigged and non-competitive deal with Denton Floyd is an act of surreptitious lubrication that must not be repeated, and it's also time to expand the scope of public meetings and curb the power of non-elected boards and commissions.

As it stands on Monday morning, council is arrayed in two blocs, with five members in favor of the city hall relocation expenditure and four against.

The Reisz fix appears more solidly "in" than usual, but I persist in thinking that one of the four Democratic councilman presently insisting that luxury government office space somehow must be prioritized, even at the expense of their supposed core mission of defending those of our citizens who are most at risk, will examine his conscience and see that in addition to high monetary cost, there is a high opportunity cost to Gahan's fancy.

If we're to spend $10,000,000 on anything, it should be for as many people as possible, not one single government building. See you tonight. It's going to be a long, hot, uncomfortable meeting, but your voice must be heard.

GUEST COLUMN: Councilmen on Reisz: "You have a duty to treat public money as the public’s money. You can’t just spend it on what you WANT."

Blair dazed as Phipps lands haymaker: "If it’s good enough for the suburbs, it’s good enough for my people downtown."

My 3rd district councilman Greg Phipps had important things to say at Monday's council meeting, but before we come to that, it's worth reprising the evening's distinctive leitmotif.

Mrs. Baird poses in updated Delacroix painting, embraces Highland Oaks People Power Revolution, by me (NA Confidential)

 ... When neighborhood residents flooded the Plan Commission to demand autonomy over their street, council person Shirley Baird looked in the mirror, saw Corazon Aquino staring back, felt the People Power Revolution rush through her soul, and declared the victory of the ochlocracy:

The residents of Highland Oaks overwhelmingly opposed the road extension; therefore, Baird voted for the amendment.

All right; it's a deal. I bring a couple hundred Midtown residents to the council chamber to demand two-way streets and an end to the vehicular reign of error at our front doors, and you'll cave on demand.

CM Phipps didn't waste anyone's time by abstaining or casting a meaningless protest vote, as the verdict was clear. Rather, Phipps made two valuable points. First, he reminded onlookers of why the connector road had been suggested in the first place, if not actually built.

There are some accessibly concerns with Highland Oaks Drive, as it takes a motorist quite a bit of time to reach the neighborhood, Councilman Greg Phipps said.

He was the only council member who found some rationale in the city planning department’s call to complete the road. “I think it’s a logical extension at some point,” he said.

Contrast the Phipps approach with that of 6th district councilman Scott Blair, whose frequent expressions of love and affection for the concept of cost/benefit analysis went flying out into the corridor, probably because People Power looked a little too much like angry voters to him.

Councilman Scott Blair said it was “ridiculous” that residents had to attend the meeting to ask for the road extension to be removed from the comprehensive plan. “I’m sorry it went to this extent,” he said.

So much for a banker's relentlessly factual inner world. As though directly answering Blair's typically fumbling interjections of "quality of life" as it exists 100% of the time in his own suburban council district, and only on widely scattered occasions elsewhere in the city, Phipps delivered a veritable sermon.

Phipps voted in favor of the amendment, and the District 3 representative encouraged his fellow council members to support pedestrian safety for downtown streets and property owners as well.

“If it’s good enough for the suburbs, it’s good enough for my people downtown,” Phipps said.

With a street study set to be finalized next month, Phipps said the council should also be wary of the dangers excessive vehicular traffic can cause downtown residents.

What was that?

We downtowners deserve "quality of life" too -- even if we don't reside next door to John Rosenbarger on Main Street?

Phipps's utterance may be the most stridently revolutionary statement made at a council meeting during the last decade. Through it all, Mayor Jeff Gahan and his team remain silent.

And this is the biggest problem of all. Read Daniel Suddeath's coverage of the Monday council meeting (quoted above): Road through park nixed by New Albany City Council; Exception still needed for baseball fields, county park.

Mrs. Baird poses in updated Delacroix painting, embraces Highland Oaks People Power Revolution.

Just once more, let me get this grassroots democracy thing straight.

When neighborhood residents flooded the Plan Commission to demand autonomy over their street, council person Shirley Baird looked in the mirror, saw Corazon Aquino staring back, felt the People Power Revolution rush through her soul, and declared the victory of the ochlocracy:

The residents of Highland Oaks overwhelmingly opposed the road extension; therefore, Baird voted for the amendment.

All right; it's a deal. I bring a couple hundred Midtown residents to the council chamber to demand two-way streets and an end to the vehicular reign of error at our front doors, and you'll cave on demand.

I'm glad we are clear on this point, Shirley. I feel better, so much so that I'll skip tonight's council meeting to devote time to collating my collection of tiddlywinks.

New Albany council gets vote on road connection, by Daniel Suddeath (All About Jeffersonville)

New Albany City Councilwoman Shirley Baird believes there will be enough votes to remove a required road connection for a property projected to be used for baseball fields and a community park.

The council is scheduled to vote this evening on a resolution to amend its comprehensive plan. The amendment would abolish a portion of the plan that calls for Highland Oaks Drive to be completed to connect from Kamer Miller Road to Charlestown Road.

Paint. Why not paint?

Every shotgun house in New Albany should be painted a different pastel color, whether mandated by historical hued standards or otherwise.

Chile cool: art, music and graffiti in laid-back Valparaíso; The Chilean city of Valparaíso is alive with avant-garde culture and vibrant street art. Think mini Berlin by the seaside, by Trish Lorenz (Guardian)

It isn't the first time we've referred to this imperative.

Edi Rama and reform by paint: "Compromise in colors is gray."

In fact, going all the way back to 2006 ...

Paint and public art as progressive ideals -- why not in New Albany?

It would seem that the most common solution to the simple problem of gray murk has been a coat of paint.

Edi Rama and reform by paint: "Compromise in colors is gray."

The former mayor of Tirana (Old Albania) provides required viewing for somnolent New Albania, with tips on what we could do to improve our civic experience.

Ironically, NAC has been here before: Paint and public art as progressive ideals -- why not in New Albany?

TALKS |TEDX Edi Rama: Take back your city with paint

Make a city beautiful, curb corruption. Edi Rama took this deceptively simple path as mayor of Tirana, Albania, where he instilled pride in his citizens by transforming public spaces with colorful designs. With projects that put the people first, Rama decreased crime -- and showed his citizens they could have faith in their leaders. (Filmed at TEDxThessaloniki.)

From 2000 to 2011 Edi Rama was the mayor of Tirana, where he implemented a series of reforms to take back the city for the people.