Did you see this? Researchers recently totaled up all the public money Amazon has already received for all their different facilities across the country.
It adds up to $1.2 billion.
In public money.
For a multi-billion-dollar company that's owned by one of the richest people in the world.
And that's before this whole HQ2 thing, which is totally taking it to the next level. They're actually making different cities publicly compete against other on how much they’re willing to offer to be considered as the site of the company's new second headquarters.
Research & map via Puget Sound Business Journal
Now sure, different people can have different opinions about the different good and bad impacts of Amazon on places where they do business and on the economy as a whole — and that’s a good thing! We like to see healthy conversation about the different forces at work in our changing economy.
But no matter what you think about all that, here’s one thing that maybe we can all agree on: multi-billion-dollar companies shouldn’t get multi-million-dollar subsidies just for setting up shop.
Where are you coming from on this issue?
- I’m an Amazon worker and I don’t think the company should be asking for public subsidies.
- I’m an Amazon customer and I don’t think the company should be asking for public subsidies.
- I’m not an Amazon worker or an Amazon customer but I still think the company shouldn’t be asking for public subsidies!
- I have something else to say and I'd like to say it in my own words…
Amazon isn’t just any corporate giant — they’re based right here in our state. That's why we know the company has done some positive things, like creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in Seattle, fighting the Trump administration's travel ban, and implementing a company-wide paid family leave policy that covers warehouse workers and corporate staff too.
It's also why we’ve worked to hold them accountable, from winning better conditions in their distribution centers, to moving them to stop funding right-wing policy shop ALEC, to standing up for the rights of the security officers who work at the company’s headquarters.
And it's also why we know there are plenty of people who work at Amazon who are right here with us on all this stuff too.
So no matter where you work and no matter where you shop, we want to hear what you think about billions in public money for Amazon — take our quick survey at this link here.