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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

#481

Post by Nasrudith »

newfriend wrote: post #344
1053r wrote: post #118

Homelessness in the USA in most places is an emotional or mental problem, but in some parts of the country, it's actually an affordability / NIMBYism / price control problem. For example, in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is a broad swath of folks who work full time (or more!) who have three choices: 1) Live with roommates, often exceeding the legal limits on the dwelling on the number of occupants, or live in ill…

How about the most sensible choice: 4) Move to a more affordable location.

Well there is the thing - jobs usually require locality which mean they come before choosing a home unless you are a retiree in which case they lack services which can be a problem for the aged and infirm. A place with no jobs has cheap housing because nobody can afford it.

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

#482

Post by smilekzs »

CydeWeys wrote: post #197
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…

You're not seeing all the other homeless people though who were displaced by high housing prices and who aren't spending all their time drugged out in highly visible urban areas. There are many homeless people living out of cars or shelters, or in tents. Many of them even still have jobs, they just can't afford housing. See: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ucla-anderson-forecast...

These people don't tend to cause problems, much unlike the homeless population in say Pioneer Square.

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

#483

Post by majormajor »

yodsanklai wrote: post #425
jimnotgym wrote: post #419

Bezos can keep his donations, I just want Amazon to pay tax like any other business would in the UK, pay employees NI like any other business in the UK, and pay minimum wage like any other business in the UK. It shouldn't be up to the billionaires to choose where to spend money that should be in the hands of national governments and workers. This article for instance shows homeless Amazon warehouse workers living in…

> I just want Amazon to pay tax like any other business would in the UK, pay employees NI like any other business in the UK, and pay minimum wage like any other business in the UK I agree with you, but you can't blame Jeff Bezos for UK legislation.

I feel like I can blame people who say "you can't blame [whoever]," though. What you aren't saying is "let's actually change things."

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

#484

Post by arcticbull »

justbuchanan wrote: post #479
arcticbull wrote: post #472

As much as I wish it would pass - and know it won't - Sanders' plan of charging back to employers the cost of social assistance incurred by employees who are paid below the cost of living is a clean and elegant solution to this.

I'm curious why you see Sanders' plan as a "clean and elegant" solution to this problem. It is a solution, but it seems likely to introduce some bad incentives at hiring time. For example, if a high school student and a single mother apply for the same job, which one should Amazon hire? Right now, both cost Amazon the same, but under the Sanders plan, hiring the single mother would likely cost a lot more due to the c…

Fair, I hadn't considered that. I guess I'm just happy the conversation is being had.

That said to solve your specific problem, I'd say this is meant to be a punitive measure and therefore it doesn't need to be a 1:1 dollar-for-dollar cost recovery program. Take the 80th percentile burden on the government from underpayment, assign a 50% surcharge as penalty, then apply it for each employee paid less than a living wage, period. Now the mother costs just as much as everyone else, and it's a lot - so now it's in their interest to simply pay a living wage as it would be less expensive than paying the penalties. These problems have solutions, let's focus on finding them instead of pointing out problems and throwing our hands up.

Or better yet don't tie it to the cost. Fine them. Or like. Set a living minimum wage.

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

#485

Post by staticautomatic »

icelancer wrote: post #478
staticautomatic wrote: post #449

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whether or not it was done in good faith is irrelevant because it does not and cannot compensate for the harm Amazon/Bezos has caused.

Right, Amazon is purely net negative. Billions of dollars of wealth, the vast majority created on the backs of laborers via exploitation the world 'round. I get the shtick. I hear it enough. It's not true, but it's a good story. Plays well on social media. The world is almost certainly better off with Amazon existing than without, even if they do some heinous stuff.

Suffice it to say you're demonstrably incorrect.

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

#487

Post by lostmsu »

thieving_magpie wrote: post #348
lostmsu wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like saying, that industrial revolution killed artisan makers. It did, but it also was a global good. Small businesses must adapt.

If I have this right, the moral of your story is that small businesses will die and amazon-sized corporations are for the global good.

But with Amazon you don't have to build your own storefront, or online site at all. Just make a listing, and ship to FBA. I imagine that alone creates more businesses.

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

#488

Post by village-idiot »

CydeWeys wrote: post #457
village-idiot wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Homeless, but not shelterless. Worse than apartment, better than a tent.

I'd rather live in a tent than in a car. Fortunately tents are relatively cheap, so if you have a car you can probably also afford a tent to sleep in.

I dunno. Tents have a better form factor, but cars provide better weather isolation, durability, and physical security.

They are much more expensive though.

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

#489

Post by rubyfan »

jimnotgym wrote: post #419

Bezos can keep his donations, I just want Amazon to pay tax like any other business would in the UK, pay employees NI like any other business in the UK, and pay minimum wage like any other business in the UK. It shouldn't be up to the billionaires to choose where to spend money that should be in the hands of national governments and workers. This article for instance shows homeless Amazon warehouse workers living in…

> It shouldn't be up to the billionaires to choose where to spend money that should be in the hands of national governments and workers.

Yeah I couldn’t disagree any harder with this statement. The property rights are an essential element of a free society. The notion that government or “workers” are somehow entitled to prescribe or direct another’s property is at odds with the principals the United States was founded on.

If you don’t like how someone else makes their money, you are free to take your patronage elsewhere and convince me to as well. Don’t try to convince me government or “workers” have a right to his property.

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

#490

Post by maxxxxx »

logfromblammo wrote: post #303
maxsilver wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 commu…

Pretty reasonable list.
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