Cities across North America have placed their bids (and pleads) for Amazon's forthcoming “HQ2,” which comes with a $5 billion investment and an estimated 50,000 new jobs. Each bid is padded with huge tax breaks, shiny new infrastructure and sometimes ludicrous promises. But our neighbors to the north have decided to take a different approach to winning Amazon's attention.
According to Reuters, Milwaukee's bid was tinged with pointed words for Chicago. While acknowledging its physical proximity to Chicago (a breezy 90-minute drive), the bid argues that “Amazon could tap the city's workforce and amenities while avoiding its congestion and high costs of living.”
But that's not all. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett had one last zinger: “We consider Chicago one of our finest suburbs.” Okay, we see you, Mr. Barrett.
Though Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner confirmed that Chicago's HQ2 bid was submitted earlier this week, there are no further details on tax breaks offered or potential sites for the headquarters. In the meantime, we'll just be over here writing our acceptance speech for best big city in the U.S.