Some people misunderstood that the $3B was a credit, not real cash being gifted to Amazon. But even among people who understand the nature of a tax credit, we felt that NYC should not forego revenue that another company would have to pay. In other words, the city has enough bargaining power to collect all the taxes that it would be owed. Amazon can flounce and run off to Virginia or Nashville or wherever, but NYC will remain the heartbeat of the US economy without this deal. New York metro is consistently the top contributor to GDP by a factor of two over LA. The Bay Area is not even top three on that list, at about 1/8 the contribution of New York. Let the cities that are struggling cut sweetheart tax breaks to speculate on future break even. If you want to bring your business to NYC, you pay business class prices for the privilege. As a property owner and taxpayer in Manhattan, believe me—that’s the deal we’re all taking for access to this vibrant and exceptional globally-connected and hard-charging economy.