Toronto Star spouts nonsense about the failed amazon HQ2 bid

The propaganda hucksters at the Toronto Star are back with their feel-good, 'light on facts' content generation. This time they are trying to convince us that losing the Amazon HQ2 bid has made Toronto stronger.

“This list of 20 finalists was not really a list (of candidate cities) for HQ2,” or a second Amazon headquarters, said Richard Florida, the U of T urbanist who helped craft Toronto’s bid, in an interview Tuesday.

Really? Why didn't you say that at the outset, Richard?

Toronto Global chair Mark Cohon expressed no regrets about a bid that emphasized the Toronto area’s deep and growing tech talent pool, its cluster of world-class colleges and universities, the city’s cosmopolitan charms and the corporate financial advantages of public health care.

Corporate advantages of public health care?

There are some major DISADVANTAGES to public health care. In the USA, health care plans are provided through one's employer. This means that it is hard to transfer companies at times (or take time off of work to upgrade education) on account of the irritating nature of the US health insurance 'market'.

Yes, health plans cost employers money, but they also make it difficult for employees to leave their jobs.

Brendan LaCerda, the New York-based lead analyst for Canada with Moody’s Analytics, told the Star the Toronto bid had lots going for it — but there are challenges in asking Seattle-based staff to move to Canada. 

“I think that ultimately what might have compromised Toronto’s chances is, maybe, Amazon’s concern was getting tech workers, people with those skills, to move to the area,” LaCerda said. 

“You can’t seed those new offices completely with new talent — significant management people and staff would have to move. I think the concern is that they were going to have to ask people from the United States to move to Canada, and that might have presented (legal and other hurdles) that Amazon didn’t want to face.”

This is total nonsense:

1. There are no 'legal hurdles' to Americans working in Canada. There is something called the TN visa, which makes it easy for professionals to cross the border.
2. Living costs and quality of life are also major issues, with Toronto being far more unaffordable.
3. Washington State has no state income tax. Ontario has high income taxes.

The real issue is the border itself. Amazon did a study of Toronto years ago and concluded the international border was a major problem.

Also not discussed by these geniuses: the PR effect of locating a head office of a major US-based firm in Canada. Amazon's customers would have been angry.

No, instead of sober analysis we get fluffy 'feel good' nonsense. Typical of the Star.