CrimsonPhantom
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Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Quote:A new tax approved by the Seattle City Council has triggered a fierce war of words between the liberal city and its behemoth corporations usually known for their progressive outlook.
Starbucks and Amazon are now blasting the decision to slap a new “head tax” on businesses to pay for homeless services and affordable housing -- saying the government's own lack of efficiency is to blame for the city’s woes.
“The city does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending efficiency problem,” Drew Herdener, Amazon vice president, said in a statement. “We are highly uncertain whether the city council’s anti-business positions or its spending inefficiency will change for the better.”
The Seattle City Council on Monday passed a plan to tax businesses making at least $20 million in gross revenues about $275 per full-time worker each year. That “head tax” is estimated to raise about $48 million -- which authorities are marking for housing and homeless services.
“We have community members who are dying,” Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said before the vote, according to The Seattle Times. “They are dying on our streets today because there is not enough shelter” and housing.
But the two corporate behemoths reacted angrily to the news. Nearly 600 employers — about 3 percent of all Seattle businesses — would pay the tax starting in 2019. Amazon said it is being forced to question future growth in the city, and noted that revenue was increasing quicker than the population increase.
Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez slammed Amazon, saying "their tone in this message that is clearly hostile toward the city council is not what I expect from a business who continues to tell us that they want to be a partner on these issues."
Seattle-based Starbucks, which regularly touts its progressive values, accused the council of ignoring the plight of children who have to sleep outside.
"If they cannot provide a warm meal and safe bed to a 5-year-old child, no one believes they will be able to make housing affordable or address opiate addiction," Starbucks' John Kelly said in a statement.
But the proposal itself had actually been reduced, with the initial pitch putting the tax at $500 per head, in order to pick up enough votes to pass and avoid a mayoral veto.
The Associated Press reports that the Seattle region had the third-highest number of homeless people in the U.S., despite the city spending $68 million on combating homelessness last year.
Head taxes are extremely rare in the U.S. and the ones in place are a fraction of Seattle’s proposal. In Denver, there is a $50-per-year tax for a full-time employee, while Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel scrapped the Windy City’s tax after calling it a job killer.
Seattle once had a $25-a-year per head tax, but killed it in 2009 because leaders said it sent the wrong message to businesses during the recession.
Link
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05-15-2018 05:44 PM |
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THE NC Herd Fan
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Seattle, the California Liberal's home away from home. California liberals/progressives began invading Washington back in the 80's and gradually turned a normal northwestern state into another liberal lunatic asylum .
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05-15-2018 06:02 PM |
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usmbacker
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Just an example of the taxes the Dems will put on the American people if they take power again.
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05-15-2018 06:11 PM |
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THE NC Herd Fan
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 06:11 PM)usmbacker Wrote: Just an example of the taxes the Dems will put on the American people if they take power again.
Someone has to pay for all those DREAMERS and the extended family. Why shouldn't the rich and over privileged MIDDLE CLASS share their abundance of wealth with the less fortunate? After all, if you take the 1% argument global, the American middle class IS the 1%.
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05-15-2018 06:16 PM |
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Attackcoog
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Its such a basic lesson in economics, yet the Dems cannot grasp it. Whatever you tax, you will get less of. Expect to see less enterprises that make 20 million or more in Seattle.
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05-15-2018 06:24 PM |
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THE NC Herd Fan
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 06:24 PM)Attackcoog Wrote: Its such a basic lesson in economics, yet the Dems cannot grasp it. Whatever you tax, you will get less of. Expect to see less enterprises that make 20 million or more in Seattle.
The one's making more than $20million will just layoff enough employees to offset the tax increase, they call that "productivity".
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05-15-2018 06:32 PM |
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Attackcoog
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 06:32 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote: (05-15-2018 06:24 PM)Attackcoog Wrote: Its such a basic lesson in economics, yet the Dems cannot grasp it. Whatever you tax, you will get less of. Expect to see less enterprises that make 20 million or more in Seattle.
The one's making more than $20million will just layoff enough employees to offset the tax increase, they call that "productivity".
Or they will leave...
(This post was last modified: 05-15-2018 06:35 PM by Attackcoog.)
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05-15-2018 06:34 PM |
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usmbacker
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
For those that think this tax will only affect Amazon and Starbucks...
Quote:The city estimates 500 to 600 firms would pay the tax but the biggest, and highest profile, is Amazon.
Forbes
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05-15-2018 07:02 PM |
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Ohio Poly
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
“We have community members who are dying,” Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said before the vote, according to The Seattle Times. “They are dying on our streets today because there is not enough shelter” and housing.
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05-15-2018 07:10 PM |
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THE NC Herd Fan
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 07:02 PM)usmbacker Wrote: For those that think this tax will only affect Amazon and Starbucks...
Quote:The city estimates 500 to 600 firms would pay the tax but the biggest, and highest profile, is Amazon.
Forbes
Some of Seattle's largest employers
Boeing employees 80,000 $22million/yr.
Microsoft employees 42,000 $11.5million/yr.
Amazon employees 40,000 $11million/yr.
Providence Health employees 20,000 $5.5million/yr.
Walmart employees 20,000 $5.5million/yr.
Weyerhaueser employees 10,000 $2.75million/yr.
Fred Meyer employees 15,000 $4.125million/yr.
I haven't read the rules for the new tax, I assume it's only on the employees in Seattle. Walmart and grocery chain Fred Meyer certainly will find it harder to increase minimum wage to $15/hr. in Seattle. I have to believe some companies are going to leave rather than pay for the privilege of being Seattle based.
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05-15-2018 07:16 PM |
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BadgerMJ
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 05:44 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote: Quote:A new tax approved by the Seattle City Council has triggered a fierce war of words between the liberal city and its behemoth corporations usually known for their progressive outlook.
Starbucks and Amazon are now blasting the decision to slap a new “head tax” on businesses to pay for homeless services and affordable housing -- saying the government's own lack of efficiency is to blame for the city’s woes.
“The city does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending efficiency problem,” Drew Herdener, Amazon vice president, said in a statement. “We are highly uncertain whether the city council’s anti-business positions or its spending inefficiency will change for the better.”
The Seattle City Council on Monday passed a plan to tax businesses making at least $20 million in gross revenues about $275 per full-time worker each year. That “head tax” is estimated to raise about $48 million -- which authorities are marking for housing and homeless services.
“We have community members who are dying,” Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said before the vote, according to The Seattle Times. “They are dying on our streets today because there is not enough shelter” and housing.
But the two corporate behemoths reacted angrily to the news. Nearly 600 employers — about 3 percent of all Seattle businesses — would pay the tax starting in 2019. Amazon said it is being forced to question future growth in the city, and noted that revenue was increasing quicker than the population increase.
Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez slammed Amazon, saying "their tone in this message that is clearly hostile toward the city council is not what I expect from a business who continues to tell us that they want to be a partner on these issues."
Seattle-based Starbucks, which regularly touts its progressive values, accused the council of ignoring the plight of children who have to sleep outside.
"If they cannot provide a warm meal and safe bed to a 5-year-old child, no one believes they will be able to make housing affordable or address opiate addiction," Starbucks' John Kelly said in a statement.
But the proposal itself had actually been reduced, with the initial pitch putting the tax at $500 per head, in order to pick up enough votes to pass and avoid a mayoral veto.
The Associated Press reports that the Seattle region had the third-highest number of homeless people in the U.S., despite the city spending $68 million on combating homelessness last year.
Head taxes are extremely rare in the U.S. and the ones in place are a fraction of Seattle’s proposal. In Denver, there is a $50-per-year tax for a full-time employee, while Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel scrapped the Windy City’s tax after calling it a job killer.
Seattle once had a $25-a-year per head tax, but killed it in 2009 because leaders said it sent the wrong message to businesses during the recession.
Link
And there it is again folks.
We're "progressive"..... As long as someone else picks up the tab and it doesn't affect us.
I've come to expect nothing less that do as I SAY, not as I DO from the left.
Preach being "progressive", live capitalism.
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05-15-2018 07:42 PM |
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solohawks
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Amazon should be all about this community service they get to provide
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05-15-2018 07:45 PM |
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Kronke
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Another decade of "progressive" policy making, and the West coast is absolutely going to collapse. Their insanity knows no bounds, and it's almost like they think they're rubbing the rest of the country's nose in it, despite the fact that they are turning their "communities" into absolute hell holes. It's going to be hilarious when Amazon and Silicon Valley relocate to Colorado, Texas, and the Deep South.
TOLD YA SO
(This post was last modified: 05-15-2018 07:50 PM by Kronke.)
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05-15-2018 07:47 PM |
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Lush
go to hell and get a job
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Quote:Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez slammed Amazon, saying "their tone in this message that is clearly hostile toward the city council is not what I expect from a business who continues to tell us that they want to be a partner on these issues."
they were probably shocked when they didn't ask why the tax was so low?
i can only assume what the makeup of city council is and this is the result
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05-15-2018 09:22 PM |
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umbluegray
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Quote:“The city does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending efficiency problem,” Drew Herdener, Amazon vice president, said in a statement. “We are highly uncertain whether the city council’s anti-business positions or its spending inefficiency will change for the better.”
It's amazing how quick the leftists become fiscally conservative when it's their money on the line.
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05-15-2018 09:55 PM |
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UofMstateU
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 07:10 PM)Ohio Poly Wrote: “We have community members who are dying,” Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said before the vote, according to The Seattle Times. “They are dying on our streets today because there is not enough shelter” and housing.
There's record low unemployment. They need to get a job and get off of the government medicaid teet.
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05-15-2018 10:02 PM |
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umbluegray
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 09:55 PM)umbluegray Wrote: Quote:“The city does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending efficiency problem,” Drew Herdener, Amazon vice president, said in a statement. “We are highly uncertain whether the city council’s anti-business positions or its spending inefficiency will change for the better.”
It's amazing how quick the leftists become fiscally conservative when it's their money on the line.
Case in point -- I kept this little jewel bookmarked from the ObamaCare days...
Obamacare’s winners and losers in Bay Area
By TRACY SEIPEL | tseipel@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: October 5, 2013 at 10:52 am | UPDATED: August 12, 2016 at 11:18 am
Quote:Cindy Vinson and Tom Waschura are big believers in the Affordable Care Act. They vote independent and are proud to say they helped elect and re-elect President Barack Obama.
Yet, like many other Bay Area residents who pay for their own medical insurance, they were floored last week when they opened their bills: Their policies were being replaced with pricier plans that conform to all the requirements of the new health care law.
Quote:Waschura, of Portola Valley, will cough up almost $10,000 more for insurance for his family of four.
And get this...
Quote:“I was laughing at Boehner — until the mail came today,” Waschura said, referring to House Speaker John Boehner, who is leading the Republican charge to defund Obamacare.
“I really don’t like the Republican tactics, but at least now I can understand why they are so pissed about this.
Mr. Waschura must be one brilliant guy.
But Ms. Vinson may just have him beat.
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
Quote:“Of course, I want people to have health care,” Vinson said. “I just didn’t realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally.”
Did you even listen to the conservatives telling you what was going to happen? Or did you mock them because you didn't think they knew what they were talking about?
Nevertheless, tax and spend if bee-yu-te-ful -- that is, until it starts coming out of MY pocket.
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05-15-2018 10:22 PM |
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chargeradio
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
Seattle should just buy their homeless a one-way ticket to Detroit or Cleveland.
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05-15-2018 10:25 PM |
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SoMs Eagle
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RE: Seattle’s new ‘head tax’ blasted by city’s mega-corporations
(05-15-2018 10:25 PM)chargeradio Wrote: Seattle should just buy their homeless a one-way ticket to Detroit or Cleveland.
How about Gaza? They need some reloads.
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05-15-2018 10:33 PM |
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