Amazon Critic Chosen For State Board That Could Kill LIC Deal

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY – A vocal opponent of Amazon's move to Long Island City has been chosen to sit on a little-known state board that will vote on the development plan for the retail giant's new campus.

The Senate majority announced Monday that Queens Democrat Sen. Michael Gianaris will represent them in a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which was obtained by The New York Times. Gianaris, who represents Long Island City, is a vocal critic of the Amazon deal and has referred to the company as "#Scamazon" on social media.

"Deputy Majority Leader Gianaris will add a helpful voice to the Public Authorities Control Board," State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said in a statement. "Now is a crucial time for our state and he will bring an important perspective and accountability to this board as it reviews numerous projects."

If Cuomo approves the appointment, Gianaris would be one of three voting members of the Public Authorities Control Board. The board reviews project proposals by Empire State Development, the state agency that is spearheading the Amazon project. Any of the three members can block a project, because state law says the board's decisions must be unanimous.

"This recommendation puts the self-interest of a flip-flopping opponent of the Amazon project above the State’s economic growth and is a clear sign that the Senate Democrats oppose the 25,000 to 40,000 new technology jobs that would diversify our State’s economy," Dani Lever, Cuomo's press secretary, said in a statement. "Every Democratic Senator will now be called on to defend their opposition to the greatest economic growth potential this State has seen in over 50 years.”

The State Assembly's majority and minority leaders recommend the other two voting members, state law says. Members serve one-year terms.

"New York needs responsible fiscal stewardship now more than ever and ensuring our economic development dollars are well spent is a responsibility I take very seriously," Gianaris said in a statement to Patch. "I appreciate Leader Stewart-Cousins' faith in me and am honored she submitted my name to serve on the PACB."

Gianaris told The Times he would not commit to voting for or against the state's development proposal because the details are still in the works.

“My position on the Amazon deal is clear and unambiguous and is not changing,” he said. “It’s hard for me to say what I would do, when I don’t know what it is I would be asked to opine on.”

Some lawmakers, like Gianaris, have pledged to fight the deal Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio made with Amazon. They say the deal gives away taxpayer money that could be better spent. Sixty percent of Queens voters said they support Amazon coming to Long Island City, according to a Quinnipiac University poll in December.

Amazon will receive nearly $3 billion in tax breaks and other perks for opening its HQ2 in Long Island City, on a swath of public and private land along the East River. Fifty-five percent of Queens voters supported the incentive package, the Quinnipiac poll found.

(Lead image: Officials and advocates, including Sen. Michael Gianaris (center right), rallied on Nov. 14 against Amazon's plans to open a new headquarters in Long Island City. Photo by Noah Manskar/Patch)