WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Amazon’s decision to pull out of its planned expansion in New York, Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos urging the company to consider a move to the Sunshine State to take advantage of Florida’s low taxes and business-friendly climate.

See full text of the letter below.

February 21, 2019

Mr. Jeff Bezos

Chief Executive Officer

Amazon

601 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Suite 900

Washington, D.C. 20001

Dear Mr. Bezos:

It has come to my attention that Amazon recently pulled out of its planned expansion in New York and there are currently no plans to begin a new search. While I can’t argue with New York’s inhospitable business climate and anti-growth political leaders, I don’t think that should limit Amazon’s expansion plans. Florida presents an easy alternative.

Politicians like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s policies hinder companies like Amazon. The policies they support – higher taxes, more regulations and an anti-business attitude – create a business climate that’s as frigid as the weather. Unfortunately, the hardest hit are families in New York. 

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has shown that she has no interest in keeping jobs in New York. She herself celebrated Amazon’s decision, saying “New Yorkers & their neighbors have defeated Amazon’s corporate greed.” The reality is, her political greed scuttled a deal that would have created 25,000 jobs for hard-working people in her community. Florida will happily welcome these jobs to our state.

Here in the Sunshine State we know what a good job can mean for a family and we will continue to fight for more jobs for Floridians. I personally grew up in public housing and started working at an early age. It’s what allowed me to live the American Dream. My mission is to make sure every Floridian has the opportunity to live that same dream.

We have supported this mission by making Florida the most business-friendly state in the country – we have no state income tax and over the last eight years we cut $10 billion in taxes, eliminated thousands of regulations and reduced state debt by almost $10 billion. Not to mention that there are already several Amazon warehouses in Florida. We support an opportunity economy in Florida, not socialism like many of New York’s elected leaders.

We have top-notch universities in Florida. We’ve invested tens of billions of dollars in upgrading our ports and roads. And we have weather that New York can only dream of.

Don’t let anti-business leaders in New York stifle your efforts to expand and create jobs and opportunity for thousands of hard-working Americans. Bring HQ2 to a state that appreciates and respects the work that you do – Florida.

Sincerely,

Rick Scott

United States Senator

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