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I agree with Smit about Bezos and Amazon even though I am rooting for Bezos against AMI ceo D. Pecker and his National Enquierer tabloid newsprint.

Added to what Smit has posted earlier about Amazon, it is the additional shining examples of why it is better to do purchases elsewhere instead of Amazon unless a specific item can no longer be found elsewhere.

The fact the company is doing the same General Electric stuff did in the past of demanding a tax rebate. Amazon is making beyond profits and then some so demanding a tax rebate is absurd. If anything, the tax rebates should only apply to small businesses or medium size businesses that do business and work with communities on a local scale....not multi billion dollar earning corporations.

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As Small Businesses Flounder: Amazon to Pay $0 Fed Taxes in 2019 on $11 Billion in Profit

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211821405

The Institute on Taxation and Economic policy released its findings Wednesday after examining the company’s corporate filings. Amazon reported a $129 million federal income tax rebate for 2018, equaling a tax rate of negative 1 percent. (The federal corporate income tax rate is 21 percent.)

“The fine print of Amazon’s income tax disclosure shows that this achievement is partly due to various unspecified ‘tax credits’ as well as a tax break for executive stock options,” the report stated.

This would be the second year in a row that the company has avoided paying federal taxes, despite being valued at a whopping $1 trillion.

“When Congress in 2017 enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and substantially cut the statutory corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, proponents claimed the rate cut would incentivize better corporate citizenship,” the report continued. “However, the tax law failed to broaden the tax base or close a slew of tax loopholes that allow profitable companies to routinely avoid paying federal and state income taxes on almost half of their profits.”

entire article at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amazon-federal-taxes-2019_n_5c660227e4b01757c369c5b3

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New Yorkers should be relieved this deal didn't happen. Amazon would have caused as much problems as is happening in Seattle as described by a resident familiar with what is going on in Seattle regarding Amazon's operations there. For those that recall opening sequence of tv series All in the Family with display of rows of houses along Hauser street in Queens, NY (actual properties). All of those residents would be ousted and houses torn down in areas that might be considered a blight. tv characters Archie and Edith Bunker would have been tossed out as a sizeable property would be done away with while Amazon building campus would replace everything. Property taxes raised, rents also raised etc. The "gentrification" of driving out poor and middle class to be homeless would take place there in Queens. Cities and states need to stop catering to large scale corporations that only want to take advantage of tax breaks and take any bribery money being offered by officials in cities and states.

Foxconn certainly conned crook and former Gov of Wisconsin S. Walker into giving Foxconn millions of dollars and then Foxconn decided to hire very few Americans to that future company location in Wisconsin. Maybe Wisconsinites should think about filing possible future criminal charges against S. Walker in case there is evidence to file charges.

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Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Campus

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142266116

Amazon said on Thursday that it was canceling plans to build a corporate campus in New York City. The company had planned to build a sprawling complex in Long Island City, Queens, in exchange for nearly $3 billion in state and city incentives.

But the deal had run into fierce opposition from local lawmakers who criticized providing subsidies to one of the world’s most valuable companies. Amazon said the deal would have created more than 25,000 jobs.

Amazon Statement:

After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens.
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https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2266253

Amazon has ruined Seattle. Yes, they supposedly create jobs, but the net balance is wiped out by the completely unnecessary tax breaks they've received. Meanwhile, they've strained infrastructure, driven up rents, created a ghost town of empty storefronts, and fomented such a displacement problem that the homeless population has soared.

And they haven't learned anything from it. They want to go create this unique blight in other places.

Meanwhile, we have a population of people that won't shop in stores, want nothing but chain eateries, order their food through delivery services, favor the gig economy (which doesn't provide full time jobs or benefits or even guarantee a minimum wage) and don't attend in-person events. I went to a play last night, good show ("Uncle Vanya" ), beautiful setting (the ACT Theatre), good location (in the heart of downtown near transit) and cheap tickets ($40 and under), and the house was half full because people who come to cities to work at places like Amazon don't support the arts (other theatres are going mad trying to attract them). And you don't see Amazon on the list of supporters, either, while you do see Boeing, Bill and Melinda Gates (sometimes), Weyerhaeuser, Microsoft, and other local business heavyweights.