Raleigh is the only city in the state still in the running for Amazon's HQ 2. Amazon has already said no to bids from Charlotte, the Triad and Hickory.
But newly released information on Hickory's bid to land the project gives us a glimpse of the tactics state officials have employed.
First thing to note – Hickory apparently would now like to be called the “Greater Hickory Metro: Charlotte’s Great Northwest."
This is just one of the details described by the Triangle Business Journal who broke this story after a successful public records request with Catawba County – and not with state officials.
Catawba County offered $582 million, mostly in tax cuts or credits, to the online retailing giant.
But other key details are missing.
There are no specifics on the incentive package North Carolina is offering Amazon. But this records request did include some letters sent directly to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
One, from members of North Carolina's congressional delegation called North Carolina the "ideal home" for HQ 2.
Another came from Phil Berger, the top Republican in the State Senate. He said the corporate tax rate in the state would be further reduced to 2.5 percent in 2019.
As for Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, he included the state's reputation "for cool" in his pitch. And stressed that North Carolina is a "welcoming state", with this caveat:
“Like every family with an embarrassing uncle or two, we have a few politicians who want it to be 1957 instead [of] 2017, But here in North Carolina, you’ll find authentic people who respect others, who love our families, people who work hard and are loyal to the state in which we live.”
