Why Amazon will (and should) put Performance Bike out of business

[torquer]

Originally Posted by froze

... in other words...money, money, money flowing into the winning city which is why there is a bidding war going on because those cities know they stand to make a mint.

Cities don't "make a mint." Politicians get to attend groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, and, if things work out, go on to either higher office or lucrative lobbying or consulting gigs, leaving someone else to worry about balancing the books (or, just as likely, kicking that can down the road.)
Another poster replied (sarcastically) "But... Big business is bad ." Business is business, and will maximize its profits any way that doesn't land leadership in jail. (And that's quite a ways, judging from recent history. But I digress...)
The real problem with this HQ deal, IMO, is the expected rush of candidate cities to shower Amazon with offers of money from the public coffers (and that included foregone tax revenue) while the benefits are entirely speculative, and we can't even agree how to account for them. What guarantees are being offered by Amazon? Ask the folks in Harrisburg about all those great jobs at the Foxconn plant.
I brought up the NFL because every analysis of economic benefits from new stadiums (save those commissioned by the sports leagues themselves) show trivial post-construction job gains at best. Bids to host the Olympics depend on similar creative accounting. Amazon isn't that bad AFAIK, but I would still keep my hand on my wallet when someone offers money, money, money.