When I was a kid, growing up in Queens, one of the many part time jobs I held was at a lab. I didn’t know it at the time, but one of the owners of the lab had, before I started to work there, been accused of very serious business misconduct, in another jurisdiction.
In that matter, the complainant sought an order permanently prohibiting one of his business colleagues from acting as an officer or a director of a public company. “Banned for life” is a very serious remedy.
So there I was, an impressionable and very young adult, learning about business practices from a person with this type of history. The lab is long defunct. None of this matters much anymore, because it’s ancient history.
Except for one thing.
Earlier this year I changed my voter registration from “Dem” to “No Party”. This has been my way of adapting to the new reality in Queens, and registering my discontent with same.
I am referring specifically to the local pols' abject and deplorable rejection of the Amazon HQ2.
Some of the reasoning that was put forward at the time by those opposed was that the deal was secret, and that it would squash small businesses. People of course, have the right to their opinion and to free assembly, et cetera.
But what about the right of the local teenagers and young adults to learn from a conveniently located after school job at a publicly traded organization with a global footprint? These organizations often lead the way in best practices.
What about the economic opportunities of the kids in the neighborhood? Despite whatever earnest (or not) intentions the HQ2’s detractors may have had, those same parties cannot replicate this kind of economic and educational opportunity for the local youth.
It has gotten really popular in Queens to be a hater. To hate corporations, to hate billionaires, to hate people whose opinion diverges from the convention, even a little bit.
Some have accused me of being an apologist, and again, people are always entitled to an opinion. It’s my opinion, however, that it is not particularly beneficial for the future of Queens to have such a narrow view of capitalism.
One of the great lessons for me, of the HQ2 debacle was humility. I have learned that pols who presume they are more important than 40000 or so jobs do not have enough of it.
What lessons are you grateful for?
Best wishes all, for a Happy Thanksgiving.
