美国国家公共电台 NPR Opinion: Amazon Deal In New York Creates Some Unlikely Allies

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

In these days of polarized politics, there was a small sign of a coalition¹ this week. Voices that range - and it's quite a range - on the left, from the newly elected Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a democratic socialist², to labor³ unions and local Democratic Queens leaders, to The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial page, and Tucker Carlson of Fox News, denounced the deal New York City and State struck with Amazon to locate one of their headquarters in the borough⁴ of Queens.

Amazon has a market capitalization of more than $800 billion. Its founder⁵, Jeff Bezos, is the richest man in the world - worth more than $130 billion. Yet, Amazon will unblushingly accept more than almost $3 billion in tax breaks and subsidies⁶ from New York State and New York City to open in Queens. Amazon will also receive subsidies to open a second-second headquarters in Arlington County, Va., but about half as costly⁷.

Representative-elect Ocasio-Cortez said the fact that a billionaire's company will receive more billions, quote, "when our subway is crumbling⁸ and our communities need more investment, not less, is extremely concerning to residents here." Queens State senator Jessica Ramos told a rally, it is unconscionable that we - in the middle of the housing crisis, in the middle of the public transportation crisis - have to dole⁹ out so many handouts¹⁰ to the richest company in the world.

On the other end of the spectrum¹¹, The Wall Street Journal, which customarily sees virtue¹² in wealth, points out that New York citizens will pay $48,000 per worker for each of the 25,000 jobs, paying $150,000 a year, which Amazon says their company will bring to Queens. The Journal observed, apparently¹³ bodega owners in Brooklyn are supposed to be happy about subsidizing a third of the salaries of hipster techies.

New York political leaders, including the governor and mayor, often say they have to offer subsidies and tax breaks to companies that would bring jobs because New York must compete against states like Florida or Texas that have no state income tax.

But rather than cut taxes for all, they will reward tax breaks to a selective few. As assembly member Ron Kim of Queens asked, now, in the progressive state of New York, we have a governor who gave away 3 billion to the richest man on the planet?

If only for a moment, Amazon seems to have brought different political voices together in outrage¹⁴.

(SOUNDBITE OF MARCUS D. (FEAT. SAIGON AND CHOKLATE)'S "LIVE BETTER")

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

9 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

10 handouts   

救济品( handout的名词复数 )； 施舍物； 印刷品； 讲义

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后，他仍然很骄傲，不愿接受施舍。

11 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

12 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

13 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

14 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。