> its a valid argument against why Amazon should get billions in subsidies to essentially gentrify Queens

Because they’re bring more than they cost to the city? High-paying taxpayers, an educated workforce, technical talent and a reason to build out the East River infrastructure?

New York’s permitting process is broken. (Not as badly as California’s, but that’s a terrible baseline.) To get these sorts of anchor tenants, we unfortunately have to pay. Fortunately, we’ll make it back in payroll, income, capital gains, property and sales taxes.

I’m a New York City taxpayer, and while I’d prefer we get every penny of taxes owed, some gain is better than nothing. Perfect can’t be the enemy of the good.