Seattle Socialists Strangle Golden Goose

[JohnDonne]

When Amazon looks out for its immediate interests: "Free market baby! That's how it goes, bitches. Yeah, take those jobs and let em rot!"

When voters look out for their immediate interests: "What the hell? Selfish poor people!"

[DBTrek]

How does taxing jobs away to further fund a city that spent $1billion on a problem that only got worse serve "the voters interests"?

You've confused political dogma for voter interest. If Seattle City Council really thought the average voter believed it was in their interests to tax Amazon into leaving King County they could've held a direct vote. They didn't. So the voter's interests were not heard whatsoever.

[Speaker to Animals]

The behavior of the tech companies to gravitate to certain areas for access to the STEM graduates is a form of the tragedy of the commons.

The only role for government is to NOT zone for these kinds of campuses when they already exceeded some threshold of high-tech workers, else they are going to have these kinds of problems.

These are demographic problems for the most part that are exacerbated by the democratic policies that happen to go into place in the same areas.

North Carolina has Research Triangle. Texas has several high tech areas. Central Florida is actually high tech as fuck, much more advanced stuff goes on there than most of California (though, they do have JPL).

It's not a tech industry problem per se. You will get it if you try to attract financial industries as well.

Every urban area in this country has stupid problems like this. You have small cities that are reliant on like one or two large employers. That's fucking stupid too.

Democracies and cities are a bad mix.

[Haumana]

"We'll be back for more!" Brilliant plan.

[JohnDonne]

How does taxing jobs away to further fund a city that spent $1billion on a problem that only got worse serve "the voters interests"?

You've confused political dogma for voter interest. If Seattle City Council really thought the average voter believed it was in their interests to tax Amazon into leaving King County they could've held a direct vote. They didn't. So the voter's interests were not heard whatsoever.

The people voted for the city council. Presumably the "socialist" city council is doing the will of the people. If not, the people can vote for somebody else next time, right? But where does it say Amazon is leaving? From what it looks like Amazon is resuming construction of their building. Looks like the people called the bluff, get the jobs and the extra tax revenue, good for them.

[Fife]

[Kath]

The only role for government is to NOT zone for these kinds of campuses when they already exceeded some threshold of high-tech workers, else they are going to have these kinds of problems.

This is a very legit role for local governments. I think proper zoning is crucial and finding the balance is the key to a successful city. I've been to the Research Triangle three times in the last 15 years. It just keeps getting nicer.

[Kath]

Looks like the people called the bluff, get the jobs and the extra tax revenue, good for them.

Congratulations? How will the city use this flux of income? It sounds like they are just going to throw a bunch of money at a non-solution, from all appearances.

They will get what they ask for, even without knowing it. They are literally inviting every homeless person in the country to Seattle, to live the sweet life.

[JohnDonne]

Failed? If we're failing then everyone else is really really failing. Who on this globe is winning if not the citizens of the United States and other western Democracies?

[DBTrek]

Failed? If we're failing then everyone else is really really failing. Who on this globe is winning if not the citizens of the United States and other western Democracies?

And yet you cheer for government seizing private assets to waste in secrecy without accountability - which is a prominent feature of all the failed, corrupt, centrally planned economies that are not winning. Championing loser systems in winner nations doesn't make you a winner by association.