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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

#301

Post by jtolmar »

asdkhadsj wrote: post #265
fixermark wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, it used to be law. Tax rate on the top-1% of earners in the US was much, much, MUCH higher until the recent four or so decades.

At this rate I'd be happy if they simply paid as much as everyone else (percentage wise). Rather, that they didn't find as many legal tax avoidance methods. I don't know if they should be taxed more than the 99%, I'll let someone who knows economics tell me what is best.

The richest people make their money primarily from capital investment, which has returns proportional to the capital invested, which in the long run is exponential. Laborers make their money primarily from effort over time, which is linear. So it makes sense for their taxes to be different. Additionally the amount of money someone needs to live comfortably is more or less constant (regional differences apply), so it's less harmful to tax someone with more than that than someone with less.

An economist will tell you that a handful of taxes are inherently helpful and getting money is a nice bonus (externalities taxes, some amount of LVT). If you need more money than what you can get through those (and you do) then the least harmful tax is a wealth tax, but those are unpopular and difficult to administrate. Income-based taxes are less efficient but still okay. Sales taxes aren't very good at all.

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

#302

Post by s73v3r_ »

dsabanin wrote: post #86

What's up with the critical comments in here? How many of the judgemental and jaded posters here donated anything close to this to a charitable cause? Good deeds must be applauded, not shamed for not being better. Especially if the definition of "better" is made up randomly on the spot.

Because he's contributed much to the problem, especially with the wages he's paid to his warehouse employees. We'll see if he's actually able to contribute to the solution.

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

#303

Post by logfromblammo »

maxsilver wrote: post #133
partiallypro wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The question is, "what is a living wage?" The goal posts keep shifting...which doesn't help the case for this. If it were just "you can afford rent and food" that would be fine, I suppose...but it has now extended to so many other things that I wouldn't really call necessities.

What do you consider living to be? Should Amazon workers only barely be able to afford rent and food. Should they have $0 left over after rent+groceries? $1? What amount is reasonable, vs what amount becomes excessive? What if they have a child? Or an elderly parent? Or student loans? > but it has now extended to so many other things that I wouldn't really call necessities. What ridiculous lavish spending do you thin…

I consider it everything up to the level of participation in democratic politics and civil society. Different people may put different needs and functions above or below their line of demarcation.

  breathable air
  drinkable water
  nutritious food
  safe shelter
  quiet and dark sleeping area
  secure property storage
  equal access to the commons
  basic education
  job skills education
  scientific/analytic education
  access to communication
  access to markets
  personal mobility
  medical care
  social contact
  family formation
  social organization
  political influence
   .------------------------------

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

#304

Post by village-idiot »

zouhair wrote: post #240
GW150914 wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the charity of Kings. The French king gave a lot to charity with one hand and created a lot more misery with the other. This is just the return of the times of charity. You’d think people would remember how that worked out for the French royalty, but I guess it’s always “going to be different this time.”

It's a matter of perspective. You can see a thing from afar and know what it is, but when you are in it, it is extremely hard to give it a name.

Surely a few people in the French aristocracy knew they were sitting on a time bomb. But nobody had the will, the skill, and the charisma to defuse the damned thing.

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

#305

Post by gaahrdner »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #244
ithilglin909 wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before you downvote me, please, go hang out in Pioneer Square in the middle of the day.

I've had a class on Homelessness and Public Policy and I've been homeless. Addiction is not, per se, a major root cause of homelessness. There are people with addictions who have careers. If addiction caused homelessness, then getting addicted would land people on the street as a routine consequence. People see homeless individuals do X and conclude "X causes homelessness" or is otherwise some inherent trait of "thos…

Addiction is absolutely a major cause of homelessness.

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

#306

Post by blablabla123 »

ithilglin909 wrote: post #282
baddox wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not in Seattle (I live and work on some of the most conspicuous blocks in San Francisco for homeless drug users), but I'm sure that both groups exist in both cities. I think what's important is for policy proposals to treat the groups differently, rather than bundling them together into a proposal to "solve homelessness." In my experience in SF these proposals usually only focuses on one set of issues, like minim…

I agree that both are problems worth solving, but one is pretty obviously a more urgent public health problem, and unfortunately, the more difficult one to solve. When people are talking about Seattle's worsening homeless problem, they're talking about the presence of needles and fecal material on the sidewalks, and being harassed, and sometimes even attacked, by clearly mentally ill people, not about people living i…

Maybe people also get mentally ill from being homeless. Then one gets physically ill from living in a physically hostile environment...

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

#307

Post by ithilglin909 »

sharkweek wrote: post #253
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…

Resident of Seattle here, who has spent a number of years volunteering with a variety of homeless services (Real Change, Urban Rest Stop, for the other locals on here). I think you're right that the WORST of the homeless crisis is due to addiction and mental illness, but honestly that's only about half (edited [1]) or so of the homeless population. The majority of the homeless or near-homeless people who use the city…

To be clear, I have volunteered with a number of organizations that help the homeless in Seattle. I don't know where you're getting 25-30% from, but that doesn't match with my experience -- I'm inclined to believe it's much higher, but it can really depend on what neighborhood you're in.

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

#308

Post by cimmanom »

rezashirazian wrote: post #298
kangax wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm wondering why homelessness is not as large in NYC? The prices here are as high as in SF. Is it due to the slower rate of a price increase? Colder weather?

Places that get cold usually have less homelessness.

Or they just have a less visible homeless problem because more of the homeless are sleeping in shelters instead of on the streets.

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

#309

Post by chillacy »

olivermarks wrote: post #142
NeonVice wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is Amazon creating more homeless people?

By centralizing giant swathes of the consumption economy to run through Amazon, destroying jobs at every step of the way. Sweden have banned Amazon so their local economies can flourish. I think this is good macro business logic for a nation state. https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-amazon-competition-ec...

My own company has been slowly getting killed by amazon in the past 10 years, but we’ve also killed countless brick and mortar stores along the way. Where will we draw the line? Are we to fight the newfound efficiencies of technologies like the Luddites?

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

#310

Post by marricks »

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…

Many people want to tackle homelessness by providing homes first rather than addiction help.

Without a home and some semblance of stability people can’t cope with addiction or find jobs. The approach is meant to be very effective and makes sense when you consider how difficult it would be for someone without a house to take their meds on time, show up regularly for a job, or get counseling and suppprt.

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