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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for May 10, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
May 10, 2018: The Seattle City Council is considering requiring large companies in the city to pay an additional $500 per person head tax.[1] After a two-year phase-in, the tax would be even higher for the largest companies in the city.
The tax would cost Amazon more than $20 million annually. The tech giant has 45,000 employees in the city.[2] In response to the city council plan, the company has paused plans for a major construction project that might bring another 7,000 jobs to Seattle.
One city council member called Amazon’s actions blackmail.[3] Union workers and others, however, have protested the city’s efforts to raise taxes.[4]
If it were to become law, the head tax is projected to raise $75 million annually. Most of that money would be used for the building of affordable housing. However, if companies like Amazon reduce hiring in the city, the revenue could be less than projected. Additionally, the declining levels of job creation could impact other city revenues.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- May 9, 2018 – 22 states have passed laws concerning self-driving vehicles
- May 8, 2018 – 39 percent of top liberal arts colleges have no Republican professors
- May 7, 2018 – 74 percent of government workers voted in Election 2016
- May 4, 2018 – 3.5 million Americans moved from highest-taxed states to lowest over past decade
- May 3, 2018 – 25 percent of Americans have confidence in elected officials
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Seattle City Council, "Getting Down to Business: How a Progressive Tax on Business Can Help Seattle Structurally Address Homelessness," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ USA Today, "Amazon's fight with Seattle gives second headquarters cities a taste of their future," May 3, 2018
- ↑ Hot Air, "Seattle Council Member Accuses Amazon Of 'Blackmail' Over Class-Warfare Tax Proposal," May 3, 2018
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Outside Amazon Spheres, iron workers shout down Kshama Sawant over proposed head tax," May 5, 2018
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