Cities bending over backwards for Amazon

[Trumptonium]

Now, I'm not one for American news, but while I have known for a while that Amazon was searching for a second city to name itself their headquarters, I did not know that American cities are bending over backwards for this corporate giant.

A little background: Amazon has become slightly large and is now looking for a second city to call home in North America. It offers billions in investment and it claims it will create 50 000 jobs, all with a collective median income of just over $100 000. In return it expects cities to offer tax breaks, fee reductions, relocations grants, and more in their pitches. Amazon hasn’t given details yet on when and how it will announce the winner of the bids. Let me repeat: This corporate giant is demanding that any city it bestows its presence upon will be expected to facedown-assup the company by offering them the ability to pay no tax, no fees on property, and use money out of the public treasury to pay Amazon to move. Common sense would dictate that in a democratic country, no such thing would ever happen.

But not in America.

That is just the tip of the iceberg.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said that tonight, key landmarks around the city like the Empire State Building, billboards, and Wi-Fi charging stations are going to light up in Amazon’s signature orange color.

And there's of course this city which promises to change its name to 'Amazon City' if they arrive.

This desparation is amazoning.

But of course it wouldn't be the first time giant corporates are going to live their life tax-free. Tesla received a forward-placed $1.3bn tax break to exist in Nevada, while Wisconsin lured Foxconn with $3bn of tax breaks over 15 years.

Is it perhaps time to TeddyRoosveltise our politics and break up monopolies that do whatever they want?

[Sovaal]

Not really anything new. Towns and cities used to change their names to Oxford in attempts to attract colleges.

And I seriously doubt that this is only going to happen in America.

[Vassenor]

Remember Google, Kansas?

[Major-Tom]

Amazon has become scary successful, and in a way, it concerns me.

[Trumptonium]

And before anyone claims that I am an enemy of economic growth who can't see the benefit of 50 000 Amazon jobs, you should know that Amazon can be directly linked to the loss of over one and a half million jobs.

Automation does not always lead to more jobs.

Well it does. On cycles, for $6 an hour.

[Sovaal]

Amazon has become scary successful, and in a way, it concerns me.

Just waiting for Avatar to happen in real life only with Amazon rather then the RDA.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

Amazon isn't a Monopoly, they have plenty of online stores that are in competition with them.

However, they should pay for there own move and not get tax cuts.

Big corporations need more taxes, not less.

[Sovaal]

Amazon isn't a Monopoly, they have plenty of online stores that are in competition with them.

However, they should pay for there own move and not get tax cuts.

Big corporations need more taxes, not less.

^

[Great Nepal]

Meh. Obviously those cities calculate having Amazon headquarters and it's associated benefits is preferable to squeezing few percentage tax and pride. That seems like perfectly good level of decision making for city level governments.

[The of Japan]

Amazon isn't a Monopoly, they have plenty of online stores that are in competition with them.

However, they should pay for there own move and not get tax cuts.

Big corporations need more taxes, not less.

Corporations pay little tax effectively. We should decrease Corp. tax nominally and MASSIVELY increase enforcement, and have it simple and not loophole-ridden

[Ethel mermania]

These kind of tax breaks give amazon an advantage on their competition that has to pay full taxes on things. My idiot mayor is going all out for amazon as he thinks it will help him shed his communist background. Hurray for on governmental interference with the free market.

[Trumptonium]

Meh. Obviously those cities calculate having Amazon headquarters and it's associated benefits is preferable to squeezing few percentage tax and pride. That seems like perfectly good level of decision making for city level governments.

just like bowing down to the greatness of billionaires willing to loan us their presence is worth the benefits of their close to nonpayment of tax because after all they can just leave and go to bermuda if they're annoyed!

we should just move it to 0

[Great Nepal]

Meh. Obviously those cities calculate having Amazon headquarters and it's associated benefits is preferable to squeezing few percentage tax and pride. That seems like perfectly good level of decision making for city level governments.

just like bowing down to the greatness of billionaires willing to loan us their presence is worth the benefits of their close to nonpayment of tax because after all they can just leave and go to bermuda if they're annoyed!

we should just move it to 0

No, amazon can just choose to open its office where it is profitable, indeed it should do so.

[The Corparation]

The companies and their employees will contribute to the economy of the city. While I don't think that's necessarily grounds for billion dollar tax breaks to build a headquarters there, I can live with it. Now Sports Teams getting the city to bankroll new stadiums on the other hand.....

[Trumptonium]

just like bowing down to the greatness of billionaires willing to loan us their presence is worth the benefits of their close to nonpayment of tax because after all they can just leave and go to bermuda if they're annoyed!

we should just move it to 0

No, amazon can just choose to open its office where it is profitable, indeed it should do so.

and the correct course of action is to tax amazon where appriopriate

Mr billionaire x wants to move to bermuda let him do so. but then increase his taxes for capital gains and income from the US from the domestic 40% to the foreign 66%. Same for any company choosing to relocate 'because it is more profitable'

It's a two way game. you want the lower expenses, fine, but you certainly don't get to keep all that income. Hopefully their choice was intelligent enough that wherever they moved to will make up for all the lost income

[MERIZoC]

hahahaha holy shit what a world

Can't wait till we're all bought and sold by the rich who have us delivered to their doorsteps by Amazon Prime drones.

[MERIZoC]

Amazon isn't a Monopoly, they have plenty of online stores that are in competition with them.

lol

[Internationalist Bastard]

Hey, it's money

[Sovaal]

hahahaha holy shit what a world

Can't wait till we're all bought and sold by the rich who have us delivered to their doorsteps by Amazon Prime drones.

Why do that when they could simply kill us all and have the drones do all the work?

[San Lumen]

Its money and creates good paying jobs. it helps the economy too. Why wouldn't places be trying their best to land such a prestigious honor? And of course they will go to a large city. Why would they went to place their facility in some tiny little town in Missouri or a suburb thats hard to get to?

[Greed and Death]

I have never liked this sort of municipal competition. I've always felt the cities end up losing more revenue from the tax breaks than the additional revenue they bring in.

[MERIZoC]

hahahaha holy shit what a world

Can't wait till we're all bought and sold by the rich who have us delivered to their doorsteps by Amazon Prime drones.

Why do that when they could simply kill us all and have the drones do all the work?

Lacks the Jeff Bezos flair.

[Greed and Death]

Its money and creates good paying jobs. it helps the economy too. Why wouldn't places be trying their best to land such a prestigious honor? And of course they will go to a large city. Why would they went to place their facility in some tiny little town in Missouri or a suburb thats hard to get to?

Places like Atalanta, Dallas, and Kansas city have made it an art to snag corporations secondary centers.

[San Lumen]

Its money and creates good paying jobs. it helps the economy too. Why wouldn't places be trying their best to land such a prestigious honor? And of course they will go to a large city. Why would they went to place their facility in some tiny little town in Missouri or a suburb thats hard to get to?

Places like Atalanta, Dallas, and Kansas city have made it an art to snag corporations secondary centers.

Those are all large cities. I was referring to putting their facility in Jefferson City or something. or some suburb of New York like Riverhead. It would be a waste to put it there.

[Petrolheadia]

Amazon isn't a Monopoly, they have plenty of online stores that are in competition with them.

However, they should pay for there own move and not get tax cuts.

Big corporations need more taxes, not less.

Actually, they need to pay less, so that a country is more competitive. The other way to increase competitivity is lowering pay, and that's not good for obvious reasons.

Example: Ireland.