After Seattle-based Amazon began soliciting proposals from North American cities in early September, the business news media was abuzz with speculation about where Amazon will locate its second corporate headquarters. The site will be announced next year. Of course, not just any city will do. Given the criteria Amazon has laid out, only about 20 metro areas in the United States and Canada are serious contenders. Predictably, though, commentators who fail to see below the surface say that the contest to lure Amazon to one of those cities rather than another will be “transformational” for the winner by creating as many as 50,000 new, high-paying jobs, stimulating economic growth and generating additional tax revenue. And so, in addition to efforts aimed at convincing Amazon that their city fulfills the company’s requirements, local officials predictably will top up their bids with tax breaks, taxpayer-financed infrastructure upgrades, and similar concessions...(Read Full Article)