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Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

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Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#171

Post by jellicle »

burlesona wrote: post #15

I hope this works and is successful. Still I can’t help but be reminded of the saying that roughly goes “the people who are paid to solve a problem end up having a vested interest in the problem not being solved.” Specifically with regards to homelessness, the problem seems to be the critical shortage of housing for people in general, leading to a total crisis of affordable housing, rather than a specific problem of…

> vested interest in the problem not being solved

That's why surgeons always leave a little cancerous tissue, to maximize their chances of getting paid to do another operation.

(Since HN probably won't get that: it's a satirical joke meant to point out some flaws in the commenter's argument. There's no evidence at all that the people involved in, say, providing services for the public have any desire to see the public suffer more so that they can roll in that awesome $30K/year social worker salary for a little longer. Pretty sure that the folks that run soup kitchens would be very happy to close up shop if the need disappeared. Etc. The idea that this is some initiative of Big Homelessness to rake in the gravy is..... sad.)

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#172

Post by stale2002 »

maxxxxx wrote: post #43
woah wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the problem with the employees using public benefits? Genuinely curious.

This means that the public is subsidizing a company owned by the richest man in the world because he refuses to pay his employees a living wage. Doesn't this sound wrong?

What's even the point of government services then?

If I use roads or public parks, or my social security, does that mean that my employer never paid me enough, then?

And we already have a concept that covers this. It is called the minimum wage. It makes no sense to talk about government services that people are using when you should instead just raise the minimum wage.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#173

Post by djsumdog »

NeonVice wrote: post #124
jakelazaroff wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one's shaming him for not doing something better. They're shaming him for having a direct role in creating the problem this charity is supposed to resolve.

How is Amazon creating more homeless people?

Look at their home in Seattle. The influx of people is pushing up housing prices to pretty unbearable levels. It's not as bad as the Bay Area, but the homeless situation there has been bad for a long time.

The large Seattle companies also work in discount deals for housing, which is far from ethical or fair:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/is-it-hou...

People are critical because Amazon has rarely given to charity, or when they do it's something like letting a charity temporally use an existing building before they renovate it:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/amazons-donating-a-buil...

I mean, maybe we shouldn't be so critical if Bezos is legitimately concerned and they're doing something, but I can understand why people are skeptical based on their track record.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#174

Post by throwaway2048 »

dmode wrote: post #101

Finally someone realizes that there is a problem. There is no justification in the biggest economy of the world to have this much poverty and homelessness. I am amazed every time I travel to Europe, how few homeless people there are, despite their economic growth lagging the US. And it is inherently a solvable problem with adequate resources. We have $1 trillion for the military. Surely, we can spare a few billions a…

Its not like we needed bezo's to come down from the mountain and tell us all what a terrible scourge homelessness is.

You are fooling yourself if you think this 2 billion comes anywhere close to correcting the level of homelessness amazon generates.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#175

Post by CodeSheikh »

capdeck wrote: post #160
CodeSheikh wrote: post #130

I dont't care if this is a PR stint to ward of recent criticism Bezos is getting from Bernie et al but if this fund goes and actually help and make a real life impact on the lives of homeless people, then I am fine and I will hold back my criticism of Amazon. I mean clearly I have not done enough to mitigate homelessness in this country who am I to question others motives trying to solve the same problem?

Looks like this was cheaper than upping the salaries of warehouse workers to get them off food stamps and provide healthcare. For Bezos this is just another calculation, nothing more.

Another problem for another thread. This will not silence the critics of salary issues at Aamzon warehouse. Give it a few weeks and you will read it for yourself in the news.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#176

Post by godzillabrennus »

ithilglin909 wrote: post #158

This isn’t popular, but I’d challenge anyone who thinks homelessness in Seattle isn’t primarily an addiction and mental illness problem to go spend a few afternoons in areas with significant homeless populations (3rd Ave in Pioneer Square is a great place, if you need a suggestion). It’s not that affordable housing isn’t a problem in Seattle. I know people who couldn’t live on their own in Seattle anymore due to rent…

Lived in California for close to two years and I agree.

The streets may not be the best sample though.

There are homeless people who work and live in their cars.

Getting government and NIMBYISM out of housing policy will lead to affordable housing and is paramount to fixing this.

Opportunity Zone Investments should also help some.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#177

Post by ericd »

capdeck wrote: post #160
CodeSheikh wrote: post #130

I dont't care if this is a PR stint to ward of recent criticism Bezos is getting from Bernie et al but if this fund goes and actually help and make a real life impact on the lives of homeless people, then I am fine and I will hold back my criticism of Amazon. I mean clearly I have not done enough to mitigate homelessness in this country who am I to question others motives trying to solve the same problem?

Looks like this was cheaper than upping the salaries of warehouse workers to get them off food stamps and provide healthcare. For Bezos this is just another calculation, nothing more.

One would be using Amazon's money and would affect Amazon's ability to continue growing and employing more people, the other is using Bezos' money, and does not, except by maybe affecting the share price as he sells more of his holdings. They're not the same thing.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#178

Post by rifung »

pinewurst wrote: post #92
dunpeal wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Seattle resident, what do you think of the argument that Amazon greatly contributed to homelessness in Seattle? I read somewhere that Amazon's explosive growth raised the property values in Seattle, which in turn caused a surge in homelessness. Is that true?

My 2 cents is that Amazon isn't a major cause. There's a few things going on(1): - exploding drug addiction and related mental health issues - Seattle does a remarkably crappy job of assigning the low income housing we build and/or contract for. Too many people get it who shouldn't qualify. Too many non-profits cherry pick their clients. Etc, etc. - It's super hard to get coherent services out of the system. Which ma…

> - exploding drug addiction and related mental health issues

Unless there's another reason we would expect mental health issues to increase I don't see why this would lead to more homelessness.

I also talked to one of the people in charge of a non profit for providing housing to the homeless and he was saying how the longer people stay homeless, the less likely it is that they will ever be able to integrate with society again.

I am much more inclined to believe homelessness is causing the mental health issues than vice versa. Or at least I don't see why Seattle's homeless problem would be caused by greater rates of mental illness than previously seen and compared to that of other cities.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#179

Post by asdkhadsj »

capdeck wrote: post #160
CodeSheikh wrote: post #130

I dont't care if this is a PR stint to ward of recent criticism Bezos is getting from Bernie et al but if this fund goes and actually help and make a real life impact on the lives of homeless people, then I am fine and I will hold back my criticism of Amazon. I mean clearly I have not done enough to mitigate homelessness in this country who am I to question others motives trying to solve the same problem?

Looks like this was cheaper than upping the salaries of warehouse workers to get them off food stamps and provide healthcare. For Bezos this is just another calculation, nothing more.

It is really frustrating when a man makes that much and does so little.

Like, I don't think/know if it should be law. I'm not talking about being Robinhood with our taxes or whatever. I don't know any of that.

All I know is it's frustrating. Look at all the good Gates is working towards. There's just so much room for people with that much wealth to strive for.

Honestly.. I think what's most frustrating is I can't even imagine what you even do with that much money, aside from watch it get bigger, if not helping people. These people have so much money that they can't even spend it. Short of trying to personally buy a company or a country, there's just nothing you could spend it on.. it grows too fast. So it's frustrating that the human condition so easily falls towards hoarding.

And yes, I'm largely ignoring the idea of liquidity, but for this discussion I think we can.

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