Do you support Kshama Sawant's head tax proposal? (Seattle, Renton: middle-class, condo)

[RotseCherut]

SEATTLE - The Seattle City Council voted 5-4 Friday to approve a controversial $500-per-employee 'head tax' on the city's largest businesses.

An alternative plan that would have reduced the controversial head tax proposal failed to pass the committee vote. The alternative plan, backed by Durkan and City Council President Bruce Harrell, would have lowered the tax on businesses to $250 per employee from the original proposal of $500 per head.

Cannot fix stupid.. Seattle is going to become one of the most worthless cities in America soon.. Moscow, even with the dictator Putin is doing a lot better today than when its version of the Seattle CIty COuncil (Communist Politburo) ran the country. I guess Seattle is all about accommodating the freeloaders and homeless and punishing the evil capitalists. They will get their wish. I have to say I understand why this City Council is doing what it is doing. After all, it is not the businesses, working class Joes and other productive members who are voting for these parasites and keeping them in power. Rather, it is all the freeloaders who expect everyone to pay their food, rent, clothing and accommodate their lifestyle in a city they cannot afford who vote for these politicians. False promises and wealth redistribution propaganda is what keeps people voting for these fools. A society that waits on long bread lines and lives in run down broken buildings. That is what happens when you have a society run by crooked politicians and a large majority of the population who lives in poverty. Of course, all the businesses and those who actually support the economy, jobs , etc will have left a long time ago.


One day, however, the chickens will come home to roost. Seattle will reap the benefits of its stupidity and it will be a rainier and slightly warmer Detroit.

[Haakon]

Originally Posted by thatguy950

Stupidity wins again in Seattle

It's a real life version of the movie Idiocracy.

I wonder how many business will expand/relocate to the eastside or just move completely out of WA.

[Haakon]

Originally Posted by GatsbyGatz

There goes the local economy.

Hopefully just local to Seattle and not all King County.

[cttransplant85]

I just looked at Sawants twitter. Holy crap this lady is insane. She's basically begging Amazon to leave Seattle. "TAX AMAZON!" is one of the headlines, she wants these Amazon executives who spoke out against this JAILED. Why in the world would Amazon stick around in this environment? Maybe their 2nd headquarters is really going to be their new headquarters.....

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by cttransplant85

I just looked at Sawants twitter. Holy crap this lady is insane. She's basically begging Amazon to leave Seattle. "TAX AMAZON!" is one of the headlines, she wants these Amazon executives who spoke out against this JAILED. Why in the world would Amazon stick around in this environment? Maybe their 2nd headquarters is really going to be their new headquarters.....

I hear your sentiment, but it would be extremely costly to desert Seattle completely.

Sawants is totally off her rocker. Don't know to what end she is hoping for. If she is expecting most Seattleites to agree with her backward thinking she is dazed and confused.

I hope Seattle's mayor nips this in the bud on Monday. But some damage has already be done by this misguided council.

[cttransplant85]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

I hear your sentiment, but it would be extremely costly to desert Seattle completely.

Sawants is totally off her rocker. Don't know to what end she is hoping for. If she is expecting most Seattleites to agree with her backward thinking she is dazed and confused.

I hope Seattle's mayor nips this in the bud on Monday. But some damage has already be done by this misguided council.

Every major city, outside of Seattle, in North America wants Amazon headquartered there. They would cover the entire relocation expense if they had to. GE recently left Southern CT(NYC area) for Boston, it's not unheard of. You're right in the fact that the damage is done, businesses will be VERY hesitant to open/expand in Seattle now that labor penalizing is/was even being considered. This ideology was discredited in the 20th century. I have no idea why any place would be trying to do this.

[pnwguy2]

At the end of the day, Seattle is likely not really going to let Amazon get away. A lot of this crap is negotiable, and there still is a strong development community within the city. Whether they can overcome the city council is anyone's guess. The mayor definitely needs to stand up here. Again, I hope she does.

Could Amazon reduce their Seattle HQ'ers? Yes. Could they move it to Bellevue or Redmond? Yes.

There are some cities that have not embraced a new Amazon HQ, but they are few and far between.

I think this will all play out, and at the end of the day, Amazon and Seattle will kiss and make up. Or not.

[pnwguy2]

If not, then sell your home now. Get the real market price while you can, and see what it can buy in other cities, both in Washington, but also Idaho and other cheaper real estate markets.

The general rule is Seattle (city) is 3X the general state sale price. Suburbs are about 2.5X the general state sale price.

Deals can be be found in Tri-Cities, Yakima, and even Spokane.

If Seattle continues to go down this path of discouraging Amazon, then real estate prices are likely to crash. Get out now is my advice. Take your profits to more affordable areas and get a bonus of better weather.

[chol1a]

Originally Posted by cttransplant85

I just looked at Sawants twitter. Holy crap this lady is insane. She's basically begging Amazon to leave Seattle. "TAX AMAZON!" is one of the headlines, she wants these Amazon executives who spoke out against this JAILED.

Sawant must leave WA state ASAP, she did so much damage to the area already, and it seams like there are some good % brainshorters supporting her as well. For those, please feel free to join your leader Kshama Sawant on her leave. You'll not be missed...

[Rombus]

The last time I checked this tax affects 500 companies.

Why are so very few people mentioning that I the public discussion?

I don't live within the Seattle city limits, but my take on the tax is this:

It's not this one single tax that bothers the businesses. It's the mental attitude that sees them and bad guys who are a source of funds for every other thing they want to do but can't afford. And it is the high probability that over time both the tax and the limitations on it will be changed to affect more and more, smaller and smaller businesses.

IOW, if this tax passes it's a warning shot across the bow to everybody who owns a business inside the Seattle city limits. Get out if you can. Expand outside the city limits. Watch your payroll dollars closely.

Not such a good message to send to those who actually provide jobs.