*By Conor White* The 20 cities still vying for Amazon's second-headquarter bid are making what could be their final pitches for the project. Many have speculated that the company will narrow the list any day, and one contender, Newark, NJ, is all in. "We're kind of New York City without the New York City pricing," said Aisha Glover, the president and CEO of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation. Nearly 240 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico originally submitted bids for HQ2, and Amazon [narrowed the list](https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17044620011) in January. Newark is not only competing with its cross-river neighbor, but also name brand locations like Washington, D.C., Miami, and Los Angeles. Nevertheless, Glover said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar that her city is optimistic, especially after it dangled a $7 billion incentive package in front of Amazon. Critics have [panned the offer](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/newark-is-a-long-shot-finalist-for-amazons-hq2-experts-worry-it-cannot-afford-its-all-in-bid/2018/06/29/173d3772-6e7c-11e8-bd50-b80389a4e569_story.html?utm_term=.3d740eee5c1c), saying it could bankrupt Newark, but Glover maintained the plan is solid. "Because we're talking about 50,000 jobs and ultimately 8 million square feet of space, the reason why you're kind of creeping up to higher numbers is because your payroll tax waiver is per employee, your property tax abatement is really based upon size, so it's really just an issue of scale," she said. Glover noted that, beyond the 50,000 jobs Amazon is promising, as many as 100,000 indirect jobs could be created. The CEO believes Newark can handle it, largely thanks to cooperation from the rest of the state. "The entire county of Essex County, which Newark is in, is the size of Seattle," Glover said. "So, we're not just looking at Newark when we're talking about housing options." Seattle, home to Amazon's original HQ, has seen [homelessness skyrocket](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/amazon-holding-seattle-hostage_us_5af5ba76e4b032b10bfa4285) in the last few years, partially because Amazon's success has raised real estate prices, pushing out some early residents. Glover is aware of the risks, but she said Newark is prepared. "If we didn't have concerns, then we would be naive." Amazon is expected to announce the location of HQ2 by the end of 2018. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/newark-makes-its-case-for-amazon-hq2).

Share:
More In Business
Is U.S. Restaurants’ Breakfast Boom Contributing to High Egg Prices?
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
Trump Administration Shutters Consumer Protection Agency
The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Load More