Seattle Passes "Headcount tax" to "Help" Homeless Issue

Gonna turn to shit eventually just like Detroit. They’re running out of other people’s money real quick up there in Shitattle.

This is what happens when cities try to grow too fast... Although one of the WAPo posters makes a good point - there's a big difference between someone who gets priced out of housing options vs. someone who is homeless due to a mental/physical disability. The city council and protesters for the most part are conflating the two issues.

is a great solution for these people otherwise it would be impossible for them

If Seattle keeps doing what they're doing, I wouldn't be surprised if HQ2 eventually turns into Only HQ.

Boeing has been working on leaving the area for years too

Liberalism truly is the enemy of freedom and the USA.

This tax is supposed to raise $47MM a year. I wonder how much will go to helping people and how much will go to hiring government employees.

Never mind the fact that many, if not most, homeless are homeless because of mental illness and drug issues.

Tax away Seattle. Tax away chicago. People vote with their wallets and feet. Hopefully these cesspools learn their lesson.

"Corporate prison, we stay I'm a dull boy, work all day So I'm strung out anyway Loneliness is not a phase Field of pain is where I graze Serenity is far away Saw my reflection and cried So little hope that I died, oh"

...that's weird, I didn't know the real Layne Staley worked at Amazon

Literally don't understand why people vote Democrat

LIBERALS ARE A CANCER TO THIS COUNTRY, THEY SHOULD BURN AT THE STAKE. Jk. When I first read about this I thought it was a joke, can't believe they are really going through with it. Extreme "liberalism" is pretty worthless (same with conservativism). At this moment, I am glad I live in TX (until they pass some ridiculous gun law or until I hear about yet another state that has legalized the ganja).

Doesn't Washington not have an income or corporate tax at the state level? So is this really a huge impact on the average MM-Large corp company? Just do the math, you net $1B with 50,000 employees, that's effectively a 1.4% corp tax. Let me preface this by saying I don't particularly think this is a good idea, and yes Libertarians I understand the slippery slope of implementing a headcount tax. I also know that as far as efficiency goes Wash St is pretty terrible at getting any thing done with its existing tax base, (they already spend more per capita than anyone else and the homeless population there is pretty staggering).

I absolutely think this would be a crazy prop in any normal area, but net for net no corp taxes, no income tax and a moderate sales and property tax for an extra $275 a year (bc you're kidding yourself if you think this doesn't get passed on to the employees of these firms) probably wont make that big of a difference. The optimist in me says maybe these new resources are put to good use to weed (pun semi intended) out good and bad players and finally take a stab at programs for the homeless. I say all this as a person not from there but a frequent visitor, so YMMV. Anyone from Seattle feel free to disagree with me, I will defer to you as someone who lives and breaths it.

These quotes are lifted straight from the Seattle Times' website

"About 3 percent of Seattle businesses will be taxed, raising about $47 million per year, according to the council."

"With more than 45,000 employees in the city, Amazon could pay more than $10 million per year. "

"Along with the tax Monday, the council approved a nonbinding resolution that calls for spending 66 percent of the new money on affordable housing, 32 percent on emergency shelter, trash pickup, raises for service workers and other needs, and 2 percent on administration."

"The city budgeted $63 million for homeless programs and will invest more than $100 million in affordable housing this year."

It's an insane amount of money to throw at this "homelessness crisis", but no amount of housing will solve for people who are lazy, homeless by choice, suffer from mental illness, or strung-out addicts. It's not like they are going to miraculously hold down a job, get an apartment, and start paying rent.

I'm pretty sure at this point HQ2 will be Seattle and HQ1 is gonna be whichever city or state that throws the most tax incentives at Amazon.

Also heard from my boss that Bezos supposedly asked his head of domestic tax what's to stop Amazon from moving to Bellevue, WA (city across the lake from Seattle, where Expedia is headquartered). $10M/year would probably pay for a lot of office space in a different city in the region.

Yes, Amazon can afford it, and yes, Washington does not have state or local income taxes (although the Seattle city council tried to implement a city income tax, despite the state constitution forbidding it). That's not the point though.

1. Since 2010, tax revenues in Seattle are up 50% while the population increased 15%. The city has no shortage of money and already spends $18K/homeless person. Despite that, the city's socialist policies have failed to improve the homeless situation. Cops are even instructed to leave homeless people alone, even when they harass others and shoot up needles. Like SF, there are large swaths of tent "cities" and needles and human waste littering the streets.

2. This is not a flat tax applied to all corporations (e.g., 5% of pre-tax income). Rather, it's a headcount tax, thus penalizing companies for hiring more employees. This is beyond retarded.

3. Vast majority of homeless people are homeless for a reason: they are mentally ill, drug addicts, and/or made other bad life decisions. Most of them should be placed in hospitals and institutions, not given free housing at the expense of taxpayers. This will only reward bad behavior and incentivize more homeless to come into Seattle.