[jellicle]

> they didn't believe that it would be net positive for their area.

The assumption that political leaders invariably make decisions that are the best for the general public is not one borne out by evidence.

> It isn't this zero-sum game

Amazon is going to expand, right? Without a doubt, and regardless of what cities do, Amazon will expand. Therefore, cities offering tax breaks is just a transfer from the general public to the shareholders of Amazon. It's not zero-sum, it's negative sum, as far as the public is concerned. It's monopoly rent.