It seems so long ago when Amazon was just a little website that sold just a handful of goods. Then came a time where they announced the Kindle e-reader and the Kindle Fire tablet, and that was cool too. But nowadays, it’s very hard to recall those times, when Amazon had AI machines, brick-and-mortar bookstores, pickup locations for same day delivery, and own Whole Foods.

And what we really couldn’t imagine then is that we see countless cities across the country pleading for Amazon to build its second headquarters in their town.

Chicago, where I’m located, is one of these heavy-hitting contenders for this headquarters. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner have proposed tax breaks and countless possible locations to Amazon.

The projected price tag? $2.28 billion, and if you know anything about Chicago or the state of Illinois, our wallet isn’t fat.

Now, this isn’t the only reason why I’m concerned about Amazon calling Chicago home. Yes, it is true that should they move here then it will bring about a number of jobs to the area. But the problem with this is that there is virtually no data to prove if this guaranteed. Moreover, it is unclear whether or not these hypothetical jobs will give living wages or vital benefits to workers.

With this being said, property taxes are probably going to be going up as well, especially given the previously mentioned price tag. Chicago already has a problem with paying its bills, let alone its racial problems with gentrification that have displaced so many over the years. If Chicago is going to insist that gentrification is justified because it has larger economic incentives, then why are they still kissing up to Amazon to move here?

Plus, while both the Mayor and the Governor claim that Amazon would generate $1 billion in tax revenue, Chicago Reader reports that this revenue would ultimately end up back in Amazon’s bank. In other words, the workers would basically have their pay rebounded back to Jeff Bezos.

So, in the end, yes, Amazon possibly could bring jobs, jobs, and more jobs to Chicago. But as I had said before, there is virtually no data to back up this claim. Chicago has a very complex and dirty history of handing out favors and property for corporations, and nine times out of ten low-income people of color have been on the receiving end of these ventures.

Perhaps Amazon can be characterized as the neoliberal Mayor Emanuel’s fever dream. But with the 2019 election on the horizon, maybe he should snap back into reality, for Amazon is not at all what it seems for those who keep him in office.