Also a local. I would love to see this problem solved, it is demoralizing, depressing, frustrating. Personally, I am tired of fearing for my safety trying to walk into a doctor appointment or a business lunch. It’s out of control. But before anyone asks for another tax dollar, they need to explain why THIS property…

I saw a quick blurb about this yesterday and my first thought was “do they have a plan for fixing the problem with this money or are they asking for money with no plan” Now I see it’s no plan and the money is going to make the problem magically disappear.

Pretty much every city already overtaxes businesses and undertaxes residents. Business bring money in, and residents cost money. But to appease voters, they screw the businesses to varying degrees. Then the entire municipal government wonders ‘how can we attract more business’ and ‘how can we manage growth’, as though…

does he know that there are cheaper places to live in WA. that need teachers? Some one with his education could go almost anywhere other than Seattle.

What assurances are there the money from the headcount tax will be spent responsibility? It’s not like Seattle and the county have a great track record. $195 million and you can’t tackle the problem?

I’m all for taxing corporations but why would you attach the tax to full-time workers and not revenue? Why wouldn’t they just reduce the numbers of full-workers or focus on automation?

It’s a fucked up situation, but it’s not entirely Amazon’s fault. Yes, them moving into this market and hiring from outside the region for salaries higher than current market rates has pushed out locals and accelerated gentrification. Many homeless people state that the reason they’re homeless is a lack of housing…

I am a progressive fully in support of taxing the rich to fund a stronger social safety net. I’m also a Seattle native.

Yup. I wanna see some effective planning and come better cooperation from the council with businesses AND king county.

All this is going to do is drive Amazon and other companies out of Seattle. Why is it their responsibility to solve the homeless problem and who really believes this will actually solve it?

It’s a mischaracterization to paint Amazon as the sole big bad here. The original proposal was so myopic that the mind reels at the thought it was likely to pass in the first place. Amazon is shitty for countless reasons and they (often frustratingly) prefer to do things “their” way, but they alone didn’t create this…

for people experiencing homelessness?

I live in downtown Seattle and walk over, walk around, get screamed at by homeless people countless times every day. Seattle City Clowncil has (mis)-spent millions and millions and millions of $$$ on homeless and NOT helped the problem ONE BIT! Maria— you don’t have all the info!!!

errrh...I know it is easy to make Amazon the bad guy here but they really are not.

At this point, I feel like it should be reduced to one term only. I hate this man-baby with every fiber of my being. I need to stop reading articles on him to save myself from daily rage strokes.

C’mon dude. This shit’s getting scary.......

Ugh, this is just so disappointing. I hadn’t even heard of the guy until his recent essay about his experience as a rape survivor, which was moving and meaningful... and now, meaningful on a whole other level.

There’s also the fact that it simply isn’t true. McCain has talked about this. He’s talked about how the North Vietnamese hung him up from a tree by the hands and wrists with his arms twisted behind him until he gave up the names of the commanding officers in Vietnam. If I recall the story correctly, he gave them the…

This is the new Republican Party, darling. When they have all limped home with bone spurs, they cannot be bothered with war heroes* who remind them of their own dereliction of duty.