It’s no surprise that Amazon yesterday reversed its decision to locate its HQ2 in New York City, and not only because new Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and other politicians bemoaned the online retailer creating all those jobs in Long Island City. It also seems a natural byproduct of the anti-business persona the city is adopting of late. Consider a couple of proposals just made this week – one from the City Council and another coming directly from Gracie Mansion (home of the Mayor). City Council members Brad Lander and Adrienne Adams introduced legislation yesterday establishing a just cause requirement before fast-food restaurant employers could terminate an employee! (I can assure you from past experience with real estate organizations and ‘just cause’ eviction, every step in a ‘just cause’ action is subject to debate and bureaucratic interpretation.) The NYC proposal would provide terminated workers with the right to appeal dismissals through arbitration. Further, it would prohibit an employer from firing an employee “for any reason other than the employee’s failure to perform job duties or misconduct in the workplace that harms the employer’s legitimate business interests” and would go so far as to define a 15% reduction in hours as effectively a termination that would then be subject to the ordinance!! And, the crème de la crème, would come after the city puts so many businesses out of business when Mayor de Blasio wants to impose a new vacancy tax on empty storefronts – assessing a tax on landlords as a vehicle to force them to consider taking less rent than they’re asking for their empty storefronts! De Blasio called for the empty storefront tax again this week while in Albany.