Rantz: After decisive Socialist victories, Amazon should ditch Seattle for Bellevue
Nov 11, 2019, 5:59 AM | Updated: 9:29 am
(Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
Voters in Seattle sent a pretty blunt message: They chose Socialist ideologues over Amazon. Fair enough. Amazon should choose Bellevue over Seattle.
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Voters went with Socialist (or far left) candidates in almost every district, effectively telling Amazon they’re no longer welcome here. And with this incoming council being further to the left as the current one, we will assuredly see another head tax assault.
Kshama Sawant is the likely victor after tripling down on her vicious brand as anti-business, with Amazon her number one target. Incumbents Lisa Herbold and Teresa Mosqueda are known to villainize Amazon, even traveling to New York to help torpedo Amazon’s plans for HQ2.
Lorena Gonzalez is advancing illegal legislation to ban businesses like Amazon from donating money to campaigns in the future. Socialist Tammy Morales and union-funded Andrew Lewis and Dan Strauss will certainly join Sawant on their assault on Amazon.
So why should Amazon stay? Not even Mayor Jenny Durkan will do much to court the business; she sat out of the election almost entirely.
Amazon is responsible for an enormous amount of tax dollars coming into the city — mostly squandered by this council. They directly and indirectly employ tens of thousands of locals. Amazon created South Lake Union as we now know it. And what do they get in return? Constant demonizing by politicians and voters who apparently get mad that they might want to donate to candidates that won’t attack them incessantly.
Bellevue, on the other hand, has embraced business with a reasonable council. It’s why Amazon has already started to move jobs there. And instead of shaming the business or proactively blaming them for problems, the council is working together to address potential growth issues. They’re doing it because they know what a big business like Amazon can mean for a community.
So why should Amazon reward Seattle with its business when it’s clearly not welcome here?
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