Rantz: Seattle Council to punish Amazon, Uber for disagreeing with anti-biz agenda

The newly-elected Seattle City Council is wasting no time punishing companies like Amazon and Uber for having the audacity to push back against the city’s draconian anti-business legislation.

Sawant renews push for Seattle head tax in 2020

The council aims to ensure these companies don’t get to participate in the political process, banning them from putting money into campaigns.

Under one of the bills, companies like Amazon and Uber would not be able to directly contribute to candidates or to make independent expenditures. Another bill limits the amount of money corporations can contribute to PACs.

In other words, big business is cut completely out of the political process with targeted legislation. Not having a voice on this anti-business council, they won’t be allowed to do much during elections to appeal to the voters they employ and the neighborhoods they build. This is by design, and it’s vindictive and self-serving.

In 2019, Councilmembers like Lorena Gonzalez, Kshama Sawant, and Lisa Herbold were on an anti-business rampage, with Amazon and Uber in their sights because they represent, in their view, the worst of capitalism. But both companies fought back; Amazon against the job-killing head tax and Uber against an onerous congestion fee.

These companies had mixed results in the various legislation they pushed back against and, frankly, Amazon failed in getting many pro-business voices on the council. But that they dared fight back against politicians who think they know better than everyone else, was a step too far.

Now these councilmembers are abusing their power by trying to silence their opposition. It’s an abuse that will land the legislation in court, since it’s illegal, with more taxpayer funds possibly wasted defending a bad move.

Sawant’s Amazon head tax 2.0 about creating captive voters

Mayor Jenny Durkan, who pretends to be far to the left to placate activists, sold out and decided to back the legislation. This is purely a selfish move to maintain power. Durkan is a coward but one without much power against this council. She’ll be forced further to the left because she can’t stop their extremist ideas.

And rather than take a principled stand against the lawless council, she’ll kowtow to stay in the mayor’s office. She’s been relegated to dumb press release stunts announcing bets with the mayors of teams Seattle faces in the playoffs and complaints about something President Donald Trump does that doesn’t affect the city.

Emboldened by the recent council wins, these Socialist councilmembers aren’t just trying to strip these companies of rights, but they’re even reintroducing a head tax. If you thought things were bad in 2019, well, just give 2020 a few more weeks. It’s about to get worse.

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (or HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz