Seattle’s Amazon tax spurred by seething tensions, rising rents


  • TECH
  • Wednesday, 16 May 2018

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 22, 2011 view of the skyline in the city of Seattle, Washington. The City Council in Seattle, home to Amazon, Starbucks and other major companies, has passed an ordinance that would tax businesses in a bid to fight homelessness. The legislation, passed on May 14, 2018, by a 9-0 vote, would impose an annual tax of $275 per full-time employee on companies with revenue of more than $20 million. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON

It was, as the local public radio station said, the day “Seattle Nice” died. On May 2, the residents of Seattle were hit with a one-two punch. 

For months, the city council had been debating a new tax on large employers to raise US$75mil (RM297.33mil) for new affordable housing and services for the homeless, whose growing population had burst out of shelters and into tents around the city. 

Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

Men or bears? Women’s safety debate pops on social media
Bukit Aman: 49 cases of NSRC officer impersonation scams being investigated, RM6.79mil lost
Fahmi: WhatsApp chatbot feature being developed to combat fake news
Trucker was watching Netflix in crash that killed grandparents, US cops say. He’s charged
Google unveils AI for predicting behaviour of human molecules
Microsoft’s Xbox�is planning more cuts after studio closings
Sperm whale speech – with ‘alphabet’ – is decoded. What other animals can AI translate?
US judge grills Apple exec about whether company is defying order to enable more iPhone payment options
Fahmi: App provider Telegram ready to work together to fight digital piracy
Delivery app Getir’s rise and fall fuelled by billions of dollars and strategy conflicts

Others Also Read