Instant preplay of the Amazon bidding war

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

THE TERRIFIC podcast Citations Needed, hosted by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson, call it "lotteryism"--the grotesque process where local and state governments bid for Fortune 500 companies by offering billions of dollars in tax breaks in the hopes that they will relocate to their cities. The most high-profile example of this right now is, of course, Amazon. Politicians across the country are offering absurd packages to attract the new "Amazon HQ2" headquarters. These enticements will gut services for those who depend on public schools, hospitals, public transportation and basic infrastructure. This is not to say that Amazon won't bring jobs to these cities. It is making promises of thousands of permanent hires. But the pound of flesh being offered for these jobs is frightening.

To read more:

https://socialistworker.org/2017/11/30/instant-preplay-of-the-amazon-bidding-war

Belt tightening and wage stagnation for the bottom 90% while the billionaire class receives corporate welfare. A recipe for a third world nation.

[guillaumeb]

1. Dave Zirin is a terrific writer who focuses mainly on sports.

But in this case, the sad truth is that corporate welfare is advocated by politicians from both major parties.

[LisaM]

2. I live in Seattle and I wouldn't wish what's happening here on any city.

I wish all cities would just get together and say NO (including Seattle). Services, housing, transit, everything here is stretched to the breaking point. There are so many homeless people it's heartbreaking. Long-term residents are forced out. Small businesses have almost no chance to succeed, and all the charming neighborhoods are being gobbled up in record time by developers.

If your city is in the running, call up your local politicians and ask them to say thanks, but no thanks. It seems to me that if everyone agreed not to give them their tax breaks, they'd have to give in and just pay the taxes.

[guillaumeb]

3. I live in a suburb of Chicago.

Underfunded schools, parking meters sold for a fraction of their worth by the former Democratic mayor, and Rahm Emmanuel, the epitome of the centrist Democrat, is willing to bribe Amazon at the expense of the bottom 90% to cement his image as a powerful politician.