Two staunch opponents of the state and city’s deal to bring Amazon to Long Island City are pointing to a recent Quinnipiac poll that shows voters are divided on the $3 billion incentive package that was offered to the e-commerce giant.
While 46 percent of those polled support the incentives, 44 percent are opposed, according to the poll released Wednesday.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris and City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer have spoken out often against the deal since it was announced Nov. 13, saying the government should spend the taxpayer money on the crumbling subway system, overcrowded schools and the lack of adequate health care instead of offering such an unprecedented amount of tax dollars to one of the wealthiest companies on earth.
“New Yorkers are making clear they agree that too much inequality exists in our communities and giving billions of taxpayer dollars to trillion dollar corporations makes things worse, not better,” they said in a joint statement. “It is also clear that the more people learn about the deal, the less they like it.”
The poll reveals that 55 percent of Queens voters support the incentive package, while 39 percent are against it.
The Quinnipiac Poll also found that 56 percent of New York City voters — and 60 percent of Queens voters — approve “of Amazon locating one of its new headquarters in Long Island City.”
“While New Yorkers give the thumbs up to Amazon moving one of its headquarters to Long Island City, they are divided over the sizable carrot offered to the online retail giant,” Quinnipiac University Poll Polling Analyst Mary Snow said. “They are united, however, in their view that New York City should have more of a say about Amazon’s plans.”
The poll showed 79 percent of the voters said New York City should be more involved in bringing Amazon to Long Island City.
Voters disapprove 31 to 38 percent of the way Mayor Bill de Blasio handled the Amazon deal. Queens voters are divided as 34 percent approve and 32 percent disapprove. Governor Andrew Cuomo gets mixed for his handling of the Amazon deal, as 34 percent approve and 38 percent disapprove.
“While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are often at odds, they do share something in common. Both receive low grades for their handling of the Amazon deal,” Snow said. “One asterisk: Roughly 30 percent of respondents say they don’t know the details enough to give them a grade.”
New York City voters say 54 to 41 percent, including 54 to 41 percent among Queens voters, they do not have any concerns about Amazon’s plans to build one of its headquarters in Long Island City. Among New York City voters worried about Amazon coming to Queens, housing is the biggest concern for 31 percent, 25 percent are most concerned about transportation, with 20 percent most concerned about quality of life and 19 percent concerned about all of these issues.
