Fighting corporate welfare and demanding investment in DC communities, not billionaire corporations.
Why we fight
Obviously Not DC is a grassroots campaign uniting DC residents, community organizations, labor unions, and advocacy groups in opposition to corporate subsidies for Amazon's HQ2.
We believe that $1 billion in public resources should go to affordable housing, education, transit improvements, and healthcare—not subsidizing the world's richest corporation run by the world's richest person.
This campaign stands for a simple principle: public money should serve the public good, not private profit. DC residents deserve better than corporate welfare schemes that enrich billionaires while our communities struggle.
How we got here
Amazon announces plans for a second headquarters, sparking a nationwide bidding war among cities.
DC officials submit a bid offering significant tax incentives and subsidies to attract Amazon.
Amazon selects Arlington, VA (Crystal City) and Long Island City, NY for HQ2 locations.
Community activists launch Obviously Not DC to oppose the $1 billion subsidy package.
After massive community opposition, Amazon cancels Long Island City plans, proving resistance works.
Coalition continues fighting for community investment over corporate subsidies.
What we stand for
Public resources should serve communities, not enrich billionaire corporations.
Corporate subsidies increase inequality and drain resources from essential services.
Every DC resident deserves affordable housing without displacement from gentrification.
Residents should have a say in decisions affecting their neighborhoods and futures.
Why corporate subsidies hurt communities
When cities compete to offer the biggest tax breaks and subsidies, everyone loses except wealthy corporations. This "race to the bottom" drains public resources while corporations pocket billions.
Amazon's HQ2 search pitted 238 cities against each other, forcing desperate bids that promised everything from tax breaks to infrastructure improvements—all funded by taxpayers.
Corporations promise jobs, economic growth, and prosperity. But history shows subsidies rarely deliver on these promises. Jobs go to outsiders, housing costs soar, and communities face displacement.
Studies show corporate tax incentives cost states and cities over $90 billion annually—money that could transform public services and infrastructure.
Large corporate campuses drive up housing costs, displacing long-time residents—especially communities of color. Amazon's Seattle headquarters accelerated gentrification, with rents increasing 57% from 2010-2016.
DC already faces a severe affordable housing crisis. Amazon HQ2 would make it exponentially worse, pricing out working families and destroying neighborhood character.
A better path forward
Stop giving billions in tax breaks to profitable corporations that don't need them.
Invest in thousands of affordable housing units to address DC's housing crisis.
Expand Metro and bus service to underserved neighborhoods across the district.
Hire more teachers, reduce class sizes, and modernize school facilities.
When we invest in people instead of corporations, everyone benefits. Strong communities create sustainable economic growth that lifts all residents—not just wealthy shareholders.
Who we work with
Our campaign brings together diverse voices united by a common goal: economic justice for DC residents.
Grassroots groups fighting for neighborhood rights
Workers demanding fair treatment and dignity
Organizations pushing for policy change
This campaign is about more than Amazon. It's about standing up for economic justice and demanding that public resources serve the public good.