Anyone have info on Seattle+Amazon+homeless tax issue?

[The Blue Flower]

I heard from someone who lives there that a per-hour tax on Amazon employees has been proposed by the City Council to help provide services for the homeless. In response, Amazon is threatening to stop all construction on new offices and leave town. People are up in arms on both sides.

[CK_John]

1. Do they want to annex BC??

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. I dont have any info, I do know rump and other fascists are trying to harm Amazon, so anything

involving Amazon requires multiple looks.

[appalachiablue]

3. Here's one of several lately.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142052175

[AmandaRuth]

4. do a search for an an online media outlet called The Stranger

they have written extensively about Amazon. The general feeling (I'm am neutral on this, as I don't know enough to form an opinion), is that Amazon is so entrenched in Seattle, that the threats amount to a bunch of hot air.

[displacedtexan]

5. Here you go

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/amazons-tax-fight-explained-huge-effect-seattle-among-hq2-hopefuls/

[PaulX2]

6. We Pay Taxes So Amazon Doesn't Have To - CEO Worth 110 Billion And Gives Almost Nothing To Charity

Break them up.

I live in Seattle and what Amazon and others have done isn't good.

Real Estate values have gone up which is good for some, but not others. Affordable housing is a thing of the past.

You need to make $25 an hour to rent an apartment here pretty much I would suspect.

[uppityperson]

7. It's called the Progressive Tax on Business., not just for Amazon.

Here's the seattle city council's announcement, clipped. There is more at the link. It's not just for Amazon and other companies are upset too.

https://www.seattle.gov/council/issues/progressive-tax-on-business

.....

The Progressive Tax on Business will:

Exempt Seattle’s small and medium-sized businesses, only applying to those with at least $20 million or more annually in taxable gross receipts as measured under the City’s existing Business & Occupation tax;
Applies only to the City’s approximately 500 largest businesses (or approximately 3% of Seattle’s business owners);
Large businesses included will pay just about a quarter ($0.26) per hour per employee working in Seattle;
All nonprofit businesses in Seattle are exempt;
The employee hours tax will be replaced by a business payroll tax on January 1, 2021;
For those same approximately 500 largest businesses, the replacement business payroll tax will be calculated as 0.7 percent of all payroll related to work done in Seattle..... (more)

Forbes editorial wIth some info
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogervaldez/2018/04/30/seattles-proposed-tax-on-jobs-does-next-to-nothing-for-housing/#36fcc4d5640a

The Stranger editorial
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/03/26/25956942/guest-editorial-tax-amazon-fund-affordable-housing

[The empressof all]

8. There have been long standing issues in the state with Social Services.

Lots of money has poured into ever increasing need and constantly changing directions of service delivery. In addition there are significant problems in finding a stable and trained work force to provide services in a system that has high stress and low wages. The cities attempt to tax business IMO is not necessarily a bad idea but there is little faith that they will be able to provide delivery of services within the State and County bureaucracies. Amazon is not going to leave town. There is lots of anger and frustration because there is a lack of understanding on all sides that change takes time, money and commitment to a plan of action that will not be constantly tweaked and will pay providers enough to staff with trained workers at a living wage. Working with the downtown homeless here is extremely challenging as these individuals often have mental health, substance abuse, criminal and health issues. Every life is complicated and there is no one size fits all solution. There are many programs that provide good services and that provide shelter and services in a respectful and humane fashion but few neighborhoods are willing to accept wet housing for those folks who are not going to stop drugs and alcohol or housing for mentally ill individuals who may exhibit inappropriate community behavior. It is just not easy and business leaders have valid concerns that their money is not going to solve the problems. It will take a massive community commitment and buy in and it will take more time than people are willing to give.