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In fight to head off state restrictions that would kill Seattle effort, Tax Amazon march will step off from Cal Anderson

Cal Anderson Park will again swing into action this week as a cradle of Seattle activism. Next Sunday will bring a Kshama Sawant-led March on March 1st to Tax Amazon starting at the park’s fountain and ending at the online giant’s downtown spheres:

Tax Amazon! March on March 1

“There is tremendous momentum to Tax Amazon, but big business is fighting tooth and nail to undermine our movement,” the rallying cry reads.

The rally and march follow a weekend victory for the effort to create a payroll tax on the city’s largest 3% of businesses in Seattle that would raise $300 million annually for housing and environmental initiatives. Organizers from the Tax Amazon campaign say their protest at a legislative town hall held Saturday on First Hill forced at least one key concession as Rep. Frank Chopp “was met with loud applause by community members” when he reportedly said he would “publicly oppose pre-emption.”

Sawant has called on legislative leaders to avoid restrictions preventing Seattle from enacting a business tax in state proposals that would open the door for King County to tax large employers to support housing and homelessness services.

Earlier this month, the veteran legislator Chopp announced he would again run to retain his seat in Olympia. He has represented the 43rd District since 1995.

The Tax Amazon effort has also targeted 43rd Rep. Nicole Macri in its push to head off any preemption restrictions.

Chopp and Macri have co-sponsored state proposals that would open the door for King County to tax large employers to support housing and homelessness services. Many of the area’s largest companies including Amazon and Microsoft have said they will support the state bill — if legislators add restrictions preempting cities from passing their own taxes on businesses to pay for housing and homelessness. Sawant has referred to any such restrictive effort as a “Protect Bezos Act.”

Meanwhile, Cal Anderson is now slated to miss out on another 2020 day of activism. Organizers of Seattle’s 2020 Womxn’s March have opted for a change of location after postponing the event in January due to concerns over cold temperatures. Originally planned to return for another year rallying and stepping off from Cal Anderson with thousands of participants, this year’s march is now being planned to start on Beacon Hill on March 8th as part of a celebration of International Women’s Day.

 

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RWK
RWK
4 years ago

Everyone seems to agree that there needs to be more of a regional, or at least county-wide, effort to combat homelessness. The Legislature’s proposal to allow King County to tax large businesses to the tune of $300 million a year would support this approach. This would be on top of the almost $200 million that Seattle spends each year on the issue.

Yet Sawant and her minions want to tax big business even more. Isn’t $500 million enough? (leaving aside the fact that the $200 million isn’t spent very wisely or effectively). The Legislature’s proposal is a good compromise between those who want no more tax and those who want to screw Amazon as much as they possibly can, which Sawant seems obsessed about.

Adam
Adam
4 years ago
Reply to  RWK

If Kshama cared about fighting homelessness, she could have certainly accomplished a lot more in the past six years. The city’s budget has only grown and grown during that time as property tax assessments have soared. We’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars as a city during that time with little to show for it.

This is more about advancing a political agenda using a convenient boogyman to blame all the problems on. Not unlike what they do in the other Washington.

zeebleoop
zeebleoop
4 years ago
Reply to  RWK

I have been giving some thought to the question of whether $500M is enough or not. It’s a large sum of money to be sure. But let’s break it down:

– There are ~12,500 homeless people in King County/Seattle area (based on numbers from this Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_Seattle)
– We offer up to $40K/year per person as a “salary” to help pay for rent, utilities, and food
– This would allow for: ~$2K/month for rent; $300/month for utilities; and ~$250/week for food, clothes, entertainment
– Given the homeless count, a $40K/year allocation per person would amount to $500M

This wouldn’t be free money, recipients would be “employed” by the government to support public works needs. Helping to clean up/clear out green spaces, help with litter remediation, support governmental agency operational functions. Small things that need to be done to help our city, our communities, be their best. All the while, helping people to also find more meaningful work that can pay them more than $40K/year so they can get out of the welfare system.

Now, obviously, there’s going to need to be some level of bureaucratic support structure in place to ensure the money given to each recipient isn’t being used fraudulently and to account for all dollars dispersed. Which means there would have to be more funding needed to support those salaries. So $500M may not be enough-enough but might be a good start.

The thing is though, I don’t see any kinds of ideas like this laid out by anyone at the city, regional, or state level. It’s all hysteric screaming of: TAX, TAX, TAX!!!! I’m all for large corporations, some having made a trillion dollars in a year, kicking in a little extra as many private citizens agree to do when we vote to pass ballot initiatives. But it has to be based on an actual plan and not political grandstanding and marches.

Alex S.
Alex S.
4 years ago
Reply to  zeebleoop

– We offer up to $40K/year per person as a “salary” to help pay for rent, utilities, and food –

You forgot to mention that the vast majority of homeless people in Seattle are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, and would spend all their money on their addictions – especially in a city where people live outdoors by choice.

More money for drugs means more money for violent, armed drug gangs – so everybody loses under your “plan” The notion of a “bureaucratic support structure” to make sure the addicts spend their money on something besides self-destruction is an extremely naive one.

zeebleoop
zeebleoop
4 years ago
Reply to  zeebleoop

Alex,

I think you are naive to believe I was suggesting just handing $40K in cash to homeless people, without oversight, and hoping for the best. Yes, my plan may not be without holes but what have you got; other than snark and negativity?

sara
sara
4 years ago
Reply to  RWK

Bob, when it comes to obsessive behavior take a look in the mirror. You have been completely preoccupied with posting misinformation and cantankerous rantings anytime Sawant’s name is mentioned on this blog. The legislature is looking to raise $120 million for King County, less than half of what you claim in your misleading comment. Sawant is hoping to make up the balance of what is needed for Seattle which is closer to $500 million through other means. She won the seat in your district because of policies that hold companies like Amazon accountable for their abysmal ethics, tax dodging and absolute lack of good corporate citizenship. Don’t like it? Run for City Council or better yet MOVE.

Matthew
Matthew
4 years ago
Reply to  sara

“I don’t agree with you, so MOVE!” Seems like a mature response. $100 says Sara is really a Bernie Bro.

HTS3
HTS3
4 years ago
Reply to  sara

Hey Sara, Bob is merely quoting the articles that have been written about the $300 million. He didn’t make it up. And he’s also right about the nearly $200 million spent annually by the city and county. It’s sweet of you to call Bob’s rantings as cantankerous. You are obviously trying to label them as something other than facts—which they are. Sorry, I’m with Bob. When there is a demonstration of proof that the money we’re already investing in this crisis is being well spent, then, and only then will I be behind an effort to spend/collect more. If Council Member Sawant would invest half the time in oversight on the existing funds as she does screaming about Amazon, perhaps there would be fewer people on the street. You take care now.

RWK
RWK
4 years ago
Reply to  sara

Sara, THIS article states that $300 million is the correct figure:
“The rally and march follow a weekend victory for the effort to create a payroll tax on the city’s largest 3% of businesses in Seattle that would raise $300 million annually for housing and environmental initiatives.”

So, take it up with Justin if you think he got it wrong…..I doubt he did.

Oh, by the way, I was born here and have lived my life in Seattle. I’m not moving anywhere.

proud minion
proud minion
4 years ago
Reply to  RWK

Bob, you’re wrong or maybe confused. You stated, “The Legislature’s proposal to allow King County to tax large businesses to the tune of $300 million a year would support this approach.”
The legislature is only looking to raise around $120 million through the County tax. Sawant is hoping to raise an additional $300 million more through a city-wide tax if not preempted by the Legislature. You are wrongly interpreting the article in your comment to make it sound as though the Legislature is raising the $300 million. This is simply not true, not even close. The City tax will be absolutely necessary in addition to the small amount the County is raising for homelessness. Please get your facts straight.

RWK
RWK
4 years ago
Reply to  proud minion

Yes, I was wrong and I apologize. I misread the part of this article quoted in your comment.

According to an article in Geekwire, the Legislature’s proposal to allow King County to assess a payroll tax of 0.1-0.2% would raise about $121 million for homeless issues.

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-microsoft-back-proposed-business-tax-breakthrough-fight-homelessness/

But the $121 million is not chump change….on top of the $200 million we already spend on homelessness, that should be sufficient, IF we spend the money wisely and effectively.

sara
sara
4 years ago

HTS3: Not a fact, not even close sport. Every article states the legislature is looking to raise $120 million not $300 million. Bob’s claim is laughably off base but everyone makes mistakes. Your perpetuation of this misinformation without simple fact checking is a shameful embarrassment. Keep seething.

Anti-itnA
Anti-itnA
4 years ago
Reply to  sara

While we’re seething – what is being done for homeless people with the money already collected?
No one knows.

Adam
Adam
4 years ago
Reply to  Anti-itnA

Shhh, we don’t talk about that

HTS3
HTS3
4 years ago
Reply to  sara

Ooops. My mistake Sara. You are correct. The “other” $300 million was remembering was the budget figure proposed by Governor Inslee. So let’s combine Inslee’s State budget figure of $300 million, plus the $200 million we’re already spending, plus another $120 million raised through the taxes proposed by the legislature. So it seems that we’re looking at $620 million. A million here. A million there, it really adds up doesn’t it. (Not seething here. I have a smile on my face listening to some Van Morrison. Thanks for calling me “sport” by the way. I really relish the condescension.

Won't be fooled
Won't be fooled
4 years ago
Reply to  HTS3

This is also clearly false. Looks like the disinformation campaign to intentionally mislead and confuse the public has already been enacted by Amazon’s troll army. You rarely see policing of these lies in the comments and I expect to see alot more fabrications in the coming months.

Glenn
Glenn
4 years ago
Reply to  HTS3

Welcome to Amazon’s troll army HTS3!

HTS3
HTS3
4 years ago
Reply to  sara

Hey Glenn. Yes, I’m obviously spending too much time on the Capitol Hill Blog. I have trouble balancing my own checkbook, so it’s not surprising that hearing about the juggling of all these millions makes my head spin. It’s so easy to spend other people’s money. Such fun, too!