Here Are the Most Outrageous Incentives Cities Offered Amazon in Their HQ2 Bids

Maybe someone else can explain to me how to feel.

I am from Toronto, as such I am kinda proud that Toronto didn't cough up a lot of money to entice Amazon - but did we miss the chance to attract a lot of jobs/attention/cashflow to our city?

These incentives are derided as ridiculous, but even with tax incentives I assume NYC&Virginia will be making >$0 in revenue and a lot more in side benefits. Am I wrong?

I'm probably asking for trouble, but... I've heard occasional support for this sort of thing (regulatory competion, I think) from free-market minded folks.

I'm sympathetic to a lot of market-liberal ideas, but never got this one.

Anyone care to make the better case that this kind of thing is good, in general? Why shouldn't it be ilegal.

I don't get how the Miami offer being made so secret could even be legal. Florida has some of the most far-reaching transparency laws in the US; it's where the whole Florida Man meme came from.