Corporate tax dodgers put on notice by the 99%

by Nate Jackson On Tax Day the 99% took to the streets to show big corporate tax dodgers extraordinaires like Amazon and Wells Fargo that they were on notice.  Thousands of people across the country participated as workers, concerned citizens and community groups came together to address some of the fundamental problems facing all of us, big corporations not paying their fair share.

There were protests in Spokane and Yakima who went after some of our representatives who have seemed to forget that the representatives work for us, not corporations.

Here in Seattle we had some pie.

Hundreds marched from Westlake Park first to Wells Fargo, the foreclosure specialists, to tell the big bank that it needs to pay their fair share.  The 99% erected huge foreclosure tape banners around the Wells Fargo building and held a live auction of some of the big banks assets.

The auction took facts from the giant bank and put them up for sale, facts like the ridiculously high compensation of Wells Fargo CEO Stumpf.

“Can I get $5 Million, 5, 5, 6 come on whose got 7?” A fast talking Angela O’Brien barked into the microphone auctioneer style.

Folks held up their hands yelling out amounts that kept creeping up and up: $5 million, $7 Million, $12 Million.

“Sold! For $19.8 Million!” She said pointing out to the surprised crowd.

The CEO of Wells “Foreclosing” Fargo made $19.8 Million in total compensation in 2011.

Another speaker took the microphone. Maribel Peralez, speaking in front of the “Seattle Tulip” sculpture outside of the Wells Fargo building, addressed the crowd.

“So these big banks get away with dodging taxes,” she said. “How do they get away with it? One word: lobbyists.”

Wells Fargo paid more money into the hands of corporate lobbyists than they did in Federal taxes in 2010.

“Shame on you Wells Fargo,” Peralez said. “We need that money to fund essential services like health care and education.”

If big corporations and the 1% would pay their fair share we wouldn’t be in the situation we are right now with billions in budget cuts, slashing of social services and layoffs of public employees who teach our children and watch over our homes while we sleep.

It’s a shame that our big corporations would rather invest in lobbyist and take advantage of loopholes than pay their fair share and give back to our communities.

Wells Fargo wasn’t the only corporation that we wanted to bring our message to. We also had our eyes set on a home grown big corporation, Amazon.

We headed over to Denny Park where we set up a pie eating contest to show Amazon, another tax deadbeat, what a fair share actually looks like.

The players were Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Amazon, Wells Fargo CEO Stumpf and Mr. 1% himself Mitt Romney. It was a close battle as the 1% tried to hog all the pie for themselves, but in the end Bezos took the crown by a mouthful.

We marched over to the Amazon campus along Westlake Avenue as evening commuters looked on. Amazon in 2010 paid an effective federal tax rate of only 5.5% using the most asinine of loopholes that rewarded them for giving stock bonuses to millionaire executives. Seriously.

When we reached the Amazon campus we gathered between two large Amazon towers in a “privately owned public space.” There Pastor Gurming Elca of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America took the microphone and pointed up at the glittering buildings.

He called out for the giant online retailer to pay their fair share and treat all their workers with respect. He told the retailer that it needs to do better by the community that made it so successful in the first place.

The big corporations and the 1% are on notice. We will no longer tolerate them not paying their fair share or treating the 99%, the folks who actually created all the wealth, so poorly anymore. We are waking up. We are rested and we’re ready to go.

Amazon corporate campus to be "occu-pied" by more than a hundred protestors — in chef hats.

***MEDIA ADVISORY*** FOR APRIL 17, 2012 CONTACT: Sage Wilson, sage@workingwa.org

Tax day protesters demand: "Fair's fair. Pay your share."

On Tax Day, more than a hundred workers, students, people of faith, and community leaders will converge in South Lake Union to "occu-pie" Amazon and call on the company to pay their fair share of taxes. With a pie-eating contest and then a march to the company's headquarters campus, we are going to show the giant retailer what a fair share looks like. (Hint: it's more than the 5.5% effective Federal income tax rate they paid.)

A delegation of faith & community leaders will also attempt to deliver a letter to Amazon executives calling on the company to provide a fair deal to communities and workers.

When: Tax Day — Tuesday, April 17th — at 5 pm. March to "occu-pie" Amazon begins at 5:30.

Where: Rally and pie-eating contest in southwest corner of Denny Park (100 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109). Fair share march will head to Amazon office building at 410 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109 (between Harrison & Republican)

What: March to "occu-pie" Amazon's corporate campus by more than a hundred protesters wearing chef hats and carrying pie. This will follow a pie-eating contest to show Amazon what a fair share looks like.

Amazon will be "occu-pied" on Tax Day because the giant online retailer is a major corporate tax-dodger. They pay an effective Federal income tax rate of only 5.5% — far less than the 35% corporate tax rate set in law. This is on top of their well-known aggressive efforts to avoid paying sales taxes in jurisdictions across the country.

The people's action to "occu-pie" Amazon is part of a series of Fair Share Tax Day events across the country where people are rallying at corporate headquarters, banks, and post offices across the country to demand that big corporations and the rich stop gaming the system and start paying what they owe — just like the rest of us do. If companies like Amazon — and CEOs like Amazon's Jeff Bezos — would pay their fair share, we'd have the resources we need to stop cutting public services and start creating jobs by investing in the future of our communities.

More Information

* Corporate tax dodgers report from Citizens for Tax Justice:

http://ctj.org/ctjreports/2011/11/corporate_taxpayers_corporate_tax_dodgers_2008-2010.php

Working Washington is bringing people together to fight for a fair economy — and that means holding corporations like Amazon.com accountable to pay their fair share and make sure all the jobs they create are good jobs. We're taking creative, direct action to call on elected officials, big corporations, and the top 1% to do what it takes to stop the cuts to education, health care, and other services. It's time to build an economy that works for everyone, not just the top 1%. For more information, visit WorkingWa.org

One loophole down, many more to go.

by Nathan Jackson After years of public pressure state lawmakers finally closed one of the most egregious loopholes in our state budget: a lucrative giveaway for out of state big banks worth tens of millions a year. It is a good start and it would not have happened without public pressure, but we still have a fight on our hands to make our tax system fair and ensure we have adequate resources to fund the public services we need.

Thanks to a major public outcry over years of budget cuts, the last-minute budget agreement turned out far better than what many expected to come out of Olympia this year. It protects education funding at current levels and maintains critical programs like State Food Assistance and Disability Lifeline that support the most vulnerable people in our communities.

The budget also includes a jobs package that will fund some major public works projects and build thousands of new units of affordable housing. These are major successes, and have no doubt: they would not have come without persistent public pressure. But like the closing of the big bank tax loophole, it’s not enough.

The state budget that just passed does not reverse the billions of cuts to housing, healthcare, and education that have been made over the past few years. And it doesn’t restore funding to other programs that are essential tools to fix our economy. The key reason is the lack of adequate revenue — and the main culprits are big corporations who spend millions on lobbying and creative accounting to avoid paying their fair share.

The issues are much the same at the Federal level. That’s why on Tax Day this year — April 17th — we are taking on Wells Fargo and Amazon for their tax dodging. Neither of these big, profitable, mega corporations is paying their fair share, and people continue to struggle while they rake in profit.

It’s going to be fun. First, the 99% will be taking a page out of the big bank’s playbook and foreclosing on Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo avoided over $20 billion dollars in taxes while still handing out bonuses to executives and foreclosing on homeowners. It’s time they tasted some of their own medicine.

Speaking of taste, we’ll also be having a pie eating contest at Amazon. We’re going to show them what a fair share actually looks like. Apparently no one taught them, since they only paid a 5.5% federal income tax rate in 2010. You probably paid more than that.

Join us on April 17th to call on big corporations and the top 1% to pay their fair share. If there’s one thing we can learn from closing the big bank tax loophole at last, it’s that we have been shown once again that collective, public pressure can get results. In fact, it is the only thing that does.

Workers lift their voices against poverty wage jobs at our airport.

by Nate Jackson Underneath the mid-morning sun dozens of community members and gathered press listened as airport workers held a press conference about Sound Transit’s decision to block factual ads about poverty wage jobs at our airport.

Hosea Wilcox, a Sea-Tac Airport skycap, was one of the workers who spoke to the press outside of Sound Transit HQ near the International District Link Light Rail station.

"I've been working at this airport for 31 years," Wilcox said. "I’m ashamed that the public servants who run Sound Transit are trying to stop train riders from learning about our story. What are they afraid of?”

It’s not just Hosea. Thousands of workers at our airport face poverty wages and bad work conditions. Many of them are barely making it even while they work hard to take care of the traveling public. They work hard every day and all they want is a chance for the public to know their stories.

One community member moved by their plight has started a change.org petition that hundreds have already signed.

Show your support for airport workers and sign this petition and tell Sound Transit that the public has the right to know about poverty wage jobs at our airport.

Also at the press conference were community organizations like Puget Sound Sage and One America also gave statements affirming their support of the workers. Maha Jahshan, an organizer from One America made a statement.

“One America is proud to stand in solidarity with airport workers,” she said. “Many of these workers are immigrants and refugees. They work hard to keep our airport running. They make our airport clean, efficient, comfortable and safe. They are simply trying to tell their stories to the public and we call on Sound Transit to reconsider their decision.”

The ads were rejected and deemed “unacceptable.” What’s really unacceptable is the fact that there are thousands of poverty wage jobs at our airport.

Join hundreds of others and sign the petition. The public has the right to know about poverty wage jobs at our airport.

We want every job at our airport to be a good job where people can afford to take care of their families as they take care of the hundreds of thousands of passengers and tourists who rely on their professionalism and expertise.

SeaTac Airport Workers Announce Federal Lawsuit Against Sound Transit

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Contact: Thea Levkovitz,  Thea@workingwa.org

TODAY:   SeaTac Airport Workers Announce Federal Lawsuit Against Sound Transit

Today Sea-Tac Airport workers announce a Federal lawsuit filed against Sound Transit. The agency has unfairly rejected a factual ad about thousands of poverty wage jobs at our airport.

When: Today, April 5, 2012, 11:30 AM

Where: Pier 66, Bell Harbor, 2711 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

What: Airport workers will announce Federal lawsuit outside Sound Transit Board Retreat at Port of Seattle.  Airport worker, Hosea Wilcox, featured in an ad rejected by Sound Transit will speak about poverty wage jobs at our airport

Visuals: Workers will reveal a 3’ x 7’ banner version of the “objectionable”  ad.

An ad rejected by Sound Transit has the simple tag line, “Let’s make all airport jobs good jobs.”   This is virtually the same message Sound Transit ran as recently as November, 2011 “Stand up for Good Jobs.”  In response to this decision, Working Washington has filed a Federal lawsuit over what appears to be a decision to single out this particular content by Sound Transit.

The 4,000 poverty- wage workers at SeaTac think you should know about working conditions at our airport.

Workers like Hosea Wilcox, who is featured the ad has worked at SeaTac as a Sky cap and still makes only minimum wage. “After 31 years working at SeaTac, I was reduced to using food stamps. I just couldn’t get steady full-time hours; often it was just 12 or 15 hours per week. This doesn’t seem right, to reward your loyal workers this way.”

And Hosea Wilcox is s only one of thousands of passenger service workers at our Airport making less than the federal poverty level. They are the taxi cab workers, ramp workers, cabin cleaners, fuelers, cargo workers, ground transportation workers, shuttle drivers, parking lot workers all critical jobs to keep Sea-Tac Airport running.

There is no problem with the ad, the problem is poverty wages at our Airport.  Let’s make all jobs at the Airport good Jobs.

The Working Washington ad adheres to the Sound Transit advertising guidelines.  We think that Sound Transit should do the same and run our ads.   The public has the right to know who keeps our airports running. Workers will not be silenced.

Speakers:

Jonathan Rosenblum, Working Washington

Skycap, Hosea Wilcox, worker featured in the ad

Rahwa Habte, OneAmerica

David West, Executive Director, Puget Sound Sage

Sergio Salinas, President, SEIU Local 6

Other Airport Workers

For additional information:   www.itsOURairport.org

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Amazon Pied--Online Protestors Call Out Giant Retailer's Tax Dodging.

In a first-of-its-kind online action, the Amazon.com webpage for a pie-cutter is being swamped today with “reviews” pointing out the giant online retailer’s failure to pay their fair share of taxes. Frustrated by Amazon’s tax-dodging, workers, students, and community members from the Seattle area and others from across the country are sending Amazon a message they can’t miss — by leaving the message on Amazon’s own website. Check out some of the best examples below.

Pie Cutter Equity Less Than Half Good, April 3, 2012

By

Rick R. Harlan (Seattle, WA, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

First of all, I'm not about to use a pie cutter that makes the pieces equal. That's just not American. I may be way down in the middle-muddle of the 99% but IF I had enough money for a whole pie, I wouldn't want to share 99% of it with the rest of the world. I'd want the whole thing for myself! Right?

That's why I regularly and dutifully vote against my own immediate self interest, like against that initiative for a graduated state income tax for just the rich citizens of Washington State, folks like Amazon executives--people who make more money in a couple weeks, or days, or hours, than I do all year. I've had so little for so long, if I had it all I'd want to keep it all, right? Why even sponsor cleaning up Puget Sound, or reducing homelessness blocks away from headquarters, or envisioning the Next 50 Years? I'd have my pie!

If I buy a piece of pie, I pay sales tax of near 10%. Property tax means I can't afford my home no less a pie; but there's no tax on owning stocks and bonds. People who have 99.9& of the pie pay income tax of only 15% on pie dividends.

Come to think of it, the kind of pies I think would come in handy in the situation we're in now in this country are good old fashioned American pies. No, not apple pies--whipped cream pies!

Pies for everyone who has it all and wants to keep it all! No pie-cutter needed. Best used one full pie at a time. Just imagining, of course!

Slices have never been so equitable!, April 3, 2012

By

DWieland - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

Quite often when divvying up dinner at our family's weekly "Pizza Night", I as the oldest and richest will take the largest slice. My children starve on the leftover scraps, if there is any left. It's so easy to forget that there are others to feed! Now that I have the handy Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut, I recognize that my greed, while initially profitable to my waistline, has resulted in my family leaving me! Hopefully the smell of delicious, fairly sized slices of pizza will convince them to return to the family. Thanks for the valuable lesson, Amazon!

Loyal Customer Wants Amazon to Do Better!, April 3, 2012

By

Claudine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

I find Amazon to be a wonderful service and have had great experiences with your company, however, I am ashamed to learn that I have been supporting a company that doesn't pay it's fair share and has practices that contribute to the devastating and increasing economic injustice in this country. Please use this pie cutter and your obvious collective talents to do better!

Slices unevenly, April 3, 2012

By

Tim - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

I bought this pie cutter thinking that it was gonna cut the pie evenly, so everyone gets a fair share but it turns out it doesn't work that way. And how could it when the company that sells it doesn't understand fairness? They paid an effective 5.5% federal tax rate by giving stock options to executives. What?? How is that fair?

crummy pie slicer, April 3, 2012

By

onlythecrumbs - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

While I find it nice that Amazon sells this pie cutter that cuts a pie into equal pieces, it is regrettable to me that they are doing everything they can to hoard all the pie and leave the rest of us dividing the crumbs. From treating their workers poorly, avoiding taxes, and strong arming other businesses Amazon uses dirty tricks to hoard the pie and make their CEO super rich. While we are all left with equally splitting the crumbs....

Dear Amazon - NO PIE FOR YOU!, April 3, 2012

By

Jacqueline Helt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

This pie cutter is a very useful tool; however, it would be even more useful if one of the slices inlcuded Amazon paying their FAIR SHARE. Tsk Tsk - why is it that huge corporations like Amazon think it is okay to stand on the backs of those of us that do pay our fair share! Dear Amazon - NO PIE FOR YOU!

Unnecessary: Why Would Anyone Need to Cut a Pie?, April 3, 2012

By

Mr Moneybags - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

I don't understand this product. When one of my servants makes a pie, I can't imagine why I would need to cut it. Obviously, I just eat the whole pie. If I host a party with lobbyists and politicians, obviously we all get our own pie. I've seen other reviewers complaining about how unequal this pie cutter is, but really, they should feel happy they are getting ANY of the pie. It goes to show just how charitable Amazon is by even selling this product, especially since you can't really find this stuff at any of the local shops around town, as they have all shut down. They probably shut down because they were silly enough to pay their taxes, and pay their employees livable wages. Every successful businessman knows the only way for capitalism to succeed is with underpaid, overworked employees and lots of tax lawyers and lobbyists to get you the best deal, which Amazon has done better than anyone.

This cutter divided my pie, evenly!, April 3, 2012

By

Gina - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut

Was shocked to get an even piece of the pie! Amazon seems to have the monopoly on slicing huge slices from the pie chart that represents OUR economy. They starve our local book stores, publishing companies and small businesses by undercutting prices, while not paying an even slice of state and federal taxes. Amazon needs to try this pie cutter. It really does cut equally any way you slice it!

Our creative action seems to have struck a nerve in South Lake Union. 

While well more than 100 people have written and posted fair share pie cutter reviews, Amazon has removed a good number of these — so there’s no doubt Amazon executives are well aware of our message that it’s time for them to pay their fair share. However, the word about Amazon’s tax-dodging shenanigans continues to spread, and reviews continue to be posted even faster than Amazon can wipe them clean. Click here to see all the dozens of reviews still remaining on the site: http://www.amazon.com/Pie-Marker-Cutter-6-Cut/dp/B002UCB686/

Amazon gets pied--online action on tax fairness swamps Amazon product reviews.

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** APRIL 3, 2012 Fed up with Amazon's corporate tax dodging, customers use feedback system to review the company itself.

In a first-of-its-kind online action, the Amazon.com webpage for a pie-cutter is being swamped today with "reviews" pointing out the giant online retailer's failure to pay their fair share of taxes. Frustrated by Amazon's tax-dodging, workers, students, and community members from the Seattle area and others from across the country are sending Amazon a message they can't miss — by leaving the message on Amazon's own website:

* "Quite often when divvying up dinner at our family's weekly "Pizza Night", I as the oldest and richest will take the largest slice. My children starve on the leftover scraps, if there is any left. It's so easy to forget that there are others to feed! Now that I have the handy Pie Marker/Cutter 6 Cut, I recognize that my greed, while initially profitable to my waistline, has resulted in my family leaving me! Hopefully the smell of delicious, fairly sized slices of pizza will convince them to return to the family. Thanks for the valuable lesson, Amazon!" —DWeiland

* "While I find it nice that Amazon sells this pie cutter that cuts a pie into equal pieces, it is regrettable to me that they are doing everything they can to hoard all the pie and leave the rest of us dividing the crumbs. From treating their workers poorly, avoiding taxes, and strong arming other businesses Amazon uses dirty tricks to hoard the pie and make their CEO super rich. While we are all left with equally splitting the crumbs…." — Onlythecrumbs 

Our creative action seems to have struck a nerve in South Lake Union. While well more than 100 people have written and posted fair share pie cutter reviews, Amazon has removed a good number of these — so there's no doubt Amazon executives are well aware of our message that it's time for them to pay their fair share. However, the word about Amazon's tax-dodging shenanigans continues to spread, and reviews continue to be posted even faster than Amazon can wipe them clean. Click here to see all the dozens of reviews still remaining on the site: http://www.amazon.com/Pie-Marker-Cutter-6-Cut/dp/B002UCB686/

The reviews are in: a can't-miss message about tax dodging

With tax day just 2 weeks away and people across the country getting ready to pay what they owe to the IRS, community members are outraged that Amazon and other big corporations are trying to get away with paying almost nothing in taxes.

In fact, according to a recent report by the Citizens for Tax Justice, the company's effective Federal income tax rate last year was only 5.5% — far less than the 35% rate set in law. Amazon drove their tax rate this low by taking advantage of a loophole that gives them the company a $1 tax deduction for every $1 in options they hand out to top executives. Last year alone, this scheme saved Amazon $276 million — and cost the rest of us that much in cuts to public education, public infrastructure, and other public services.

Since Amazon claims to pride itself on innovation and customer feedback, online activists decided to use those very tools to bring a message to Amazon about their tax-dodging in a way they couldn't miss — by giving a negative review to their corporate tax dodging, mistreatment of workers, and predatory practices.

More information:

* Pie cutter product review page:http://www.amazon.com/Pie-Marker-Cutter-6-Cut/dp/B002UCB686/

* "Corporate tax dodgers" report from Citizens for Tax Justice: http://ctj.org/ctjreports/2011/11/corporate_taxpayers_corporate_tax_dodgers_2008-2010.php

* Seattle Times investigation of Amazon's business practices: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017883596_amazonintro25.html

Working Washington is bringing people together to fight for a fair economy — and that means holding corporations like Amazon.com accountable to pay their fair share and make sure all the jobs they create are good jobs. It's time to stop the cuts to education, health care, and other services so we can build an economy that works for everyone, not just the top 1%. For more information, visit WorkingWa.org

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Amazon should learn from its "Fair Share" Pie Cutter.

Amazon just doesn't get it. Just like other big corporations, they seem to think they can get away with tax-dodging and other predatory business practices. They're wrong, and today — Tuesday, April 3rd — we’re going to let them know with a message they won't be able to miss. Amazon says it wants feedback and we will give them what they asked for:  honest customer reviews about how Amazon as a "pie cutter" is cutting the pie so that only the 1% get any pie!

Amazon sells this pie cutter that’s supposed to make perfectly even slices, so everyone can get their fair share. We don't know anything about this product, but we know for sure that Amazon doesn't like to play fair so it’s possible Amazon is putting the squeeze on this company as well.

Joining our online action is easy. If you've bought something from Amazon before you can write up your own blistering "review" of the pie cutter that actually speaks to Amazon's tax-dodging and other predatory business practices they use to avoid paying their fair share:

1. If you've purchased something from Amazon before, you can just go to this page to find the symbolic pie cutter.

2. Get creative and have some fun writing the review of the pie cutter. (If you’ve never bought anything from Amazon before, no big deal, you can share the reviews that your fellow activists wrote.)

3. Brag and spread the word to your family and friends! Here's the link to the reviews page you can share on Facebook, Twitter, and by email:

Click here to write the "review" of Amazon through this "Fair Share Pie Cutter."

Here are more example reviews to get you inspired. You're welcome to just copy & paste them too!

• I want my fair share of pie. Corporations like Amazon not paying their fair share cuts into public services and education.
• Corporations like Amazon should pay their fair share – it’s as American as apple pie.
• Corporations like Amazon paying their fair share – is it a pie in the sky idea? Not if the 99% stand up to Amazon and other behemoths. Enough is enough.
• Yeah I bought this pie cutter thinking that it was gonna cut the pie evenly, ya know so everyone gets a fair share. Well, come to find out that Amazon doesn't even follow the example of one of their products. They paid an effective 5.5% federal tax rate by giving stock options to executives. What?? How is that fair?

Amazon’s new business model: writing laws?

by Nate Jackson We know that Amazon wants to expand its influence. It is no longer content with mistreating warehouse workers or dodging its tax responsibilities, now it wants to create laws directly or at least throw money at an organization that does so.

Amazon supports a shadowy corporate front group called the American Legislative Exchange Council simply known as ALEC. It is an organization that writes “model legislation” for our elected officials while wining and dining them at expensive “educational” vacations at three annual conferences a year.

Amazon started supporting ALEC last year and has already proven a valuable member. According to The Center for Media and Democracy, Amazon’s director of US State Public Policy, Braden Cox, spoke at a workshop hosted by ALEC around E-Commerce and E-Taxes. Interesting side note, the workshop was primarily an instruction manual on how Amazon could outmaneuver its main Goliath sized rival Walmart by manipulating the tax codes for its own benefit. They don’t want the special tax breaks for which they lobby to go to just any old corporation after all.

ALEC claims that it is a group of public and private institutions, but it really gets most of its money from big corporations that read as a who’s who of corporate tax dodgers and influence peddlers: Amazon, FedEx, Walmart, Bank of America, and Exxon Mobil amongst others. The companies invest in ALEC and they get our elected officials to shop legislation that balloons corporate profits at the expense of not only democracy, but often worker rights. ALEC has written hundreds of bills that put the needs of their corporate sponsors ahead of the needs of workers and the spirit of a democracy that is supposed to be “of the people.” ALEC has pushed legislation such as the “Living Wage Mandate Preemption Act.” This gift to big corporations tried to stop cities and state government from requiring living wages as part of a contractor negotiation. In essence they wanted to control government in its hiring practices to benefit big corporations at the expense of decent wages for workers.

ALEC has also pushed for legislation to weaken collective bargaining and deny workers from trying to better their work conditions. The recent rounds of anti-union bills introduced in Wisconsin and around the country can be traced to ALEC as it tries to weaken the workers' efforts to protect themselves from predatory employers.

Corporations should not be writing laws and the fact that Amazon supports an organization created to circumvent our democratic process is another red flag for the giant online retailer.

Instead of investing in an organization that gives Cliff’s Notes to lawmakers, Amazon should be investing in its workers, paying it fair share of taxes and ensuring that every job they create is a good job.

What if form followed function at Amazon.com?

If Amazon.com designed a headquarters campus that reflects the hidden truth of their corporate behavior, they would be proposing a design that reveals some inconvenient truths they’d rather keep secret. But we're bringing some questions to the city's design review meeting on Amazon's proposed South Lake Union headquarters expansion.

Note: all of these questions cite specific sections of the official Design Review guidelines for downtown development.

Will there be reserved parking for ambulances & car campers?

Working conditions were so rough at Amazon’s Pennsylvania warehouse that they stationed paramedics outside to treat workers who collapsed from heat exhaustion. Their Nevada warehouse is staffed by temporary migrant workers, some of whom camp in the desert during the holiday season. Is this what can we expect to be going on behind the scenes of their glossy corporate headquarters — or are these kinds of conditions only good enough for warehouse workers?

(Design Review Guideline D-4: "Provide appropriate signage".  If Amazon's corporate behavior requires parking outside their facilities for ambulances, they should be marked that way for all to see.)

Will the site feature an anaconda terrarium for inspiration?

Last year, Amazon offered a $5 bonus to shoppers who scanned a bar code at a real-world store and then bought the product online — a promotion that seemed designed to squeeze the life out of local community businesses. This is just the latest way Amazon has abused its position to put the squeeze on competitors and prey on independent publishers.

(Design Review Guideline D-3: "Provide elements that define the place." Putting predatory practices at the center of the building would define the place that is Amazon's corporate headquarters far better than the "awareness garden" they have proposed.)

Will the development include a dodgeball court in the tax department?

Amazon.com is one of the worst corporate tax dodgers in the country, paying an effective Federal income tax rate of only 5.5% — far less than the 35% rate set in law. They avoid paying their share by exploiting a loophole that gives them a tax break every time they hand out stock options to their top executives — and gives the rest of us that much in budget cuts.

(Design Review Guideline D-5: "Provide adequate lighting". We are concerned that Amazon does not want their corporate tax-dodging to come to light.)

Does Amazon plan broken mirrors in the executive suites?

A fully-functioning mirror is like an invitation for executives to pause and reflect on their work. But the glossy image of Amazon.com cannot hold when you reflect on how they do business and start to focus on the ugly inconvenient truths hidden behind the screens of the giant online retailer.

(Design Review Guideline B-1: "Respond to the neighborhood context". Preventing honest self-reflection is directly responsive to the context of a neighborhood which is designed and zoned to cater to Amazon's corporate growth.)