And decides they'd rather have Amazon as an employer of their citizens rather than Tax them into leaving.
Amazon told the city they'd vote with their wallet (and feet) rather than pay an exorbitant tax on their employees. The giant was willing to abandon their new building and leave....go elsewhere where their presence was welcomed...where they were wanted and seen as more than a source of additional tax income, rather than a source of good jobs for people.
50,000 jobs stayed in the greater Seattle area.
Greed kills, as the Fairy Tale taught many of us long ago.....others, perhaps, have to learn that lesson over and over
Amazon told the city they'd vote with their wallet (and feet) rather than pay an exorbitant tax on their employees. The giant was willing to abandon their new building and leave....go elsewhere where their presence was welcomed...where they were wanted and seen as more than a source of additional tax income, rather than a source of good jobs for people.
50,000 jobs stayed in the greater Seattle area.
Greed kills, as the Fairy Tale taught many of us long ago.....others, perhaps, have to learn that lesson over and over
Greed is a two way street. City wanted taxes monies to pay for improvements, sanitation services, infrastructure perhaps, that would benefit many more in the community. Amazon wanted less taxes to increase profits, raise stock prices, and increase overall company value which would benefit... much fewer individuals. The rich get richer and taxpayers get stuck with a larger bill.
ReplyDeleteDale
Not so much...they chose to implement the tax IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER TAXES ALREADY EXISTING onto "Big Business" AFTER Amazon began building their new facility.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty much the City Fathers thought they could squeeze larger businesses because they have their facilities held captive.
They found out it just isn't the way it works, didn't they?
How much taxes is too much? Why should businesses, which already supply income to the city, be forced to pay more?
Because the City needs the money for their socialist schemes, that's why.
Is your argument that it is okay for a private business to threaten to leave the municipality in order to get concessions from the local governments (city, county or state)?
ReplyDeleteSounds kinda like a professional sports team's owner (who is already a multi-millionaire) threatening to move his franchise to another city if the municipality doesn't build him a brand new stadium/arena. On publicly owned lands. Where the owner gets to keep the parking revenues. And the concession revenues. And the merchandising.
Like I said, Greed is a two-way street.
Dale
Amazon didn't "threaten to leave in order to get concessions". They threatened to leave when the city council decided to add a "big Business" tax AFTER Amazon began building their facility. THe City thought they had Amazon over a barrell. Amazon said if the tax stayed, they would stop building and leave...and they meant it. Note(Since you seem to fail to realize this): the tax came AFTER Amazon began building. Further it was only on bigger businesses.
ReplyDeleteAdding another tax, in a manner designed to squeeze a big employer like Amazon is not the same as granting concessions to a sports team (not that there is anything wrong with that, if it makes economic sense, which it usually doesn't) in order to get them to come to a municipality. You are smart enough that you are conflating the two, it is because you know your argument is weak otherwise.