Why Don’t the 20 Cities on Amazon's HQ2 Shortlist Collectively Bargain?

Post by xg15 » Wed, Jan 24, 2018, 12:51 AM UTC

randomdata wrote: post #208

ahartmetz wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Germany, there are very well paid mostly manual labor jobs in unionized industries, especially at the big car manufacturers. In non-unionized industries, wages can be much lower, down to about 30% of what workers in the car industry earn. That is before taxes, though. After taxes, the difference is about 2:1. There is also data showing that unionized workers get about 1% more of a scheduled raise each year .

I think it is well understood in economic theory that when you can prevent competition in the marketplace, you can charge significantly more for for your product/service. After all, if the people making 1/3 the amount the union workers were making were allowed to take the jobs in the auto industry, they would. Who wouldn't want to triple their income by simply changing employers? However, I'm not sure that is the sam…

Post by refurb » Wed, Jan 24, 2018, 12:54 AM UTC

bomb199 wrote: post #218

refurb wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the correction on the year. Income growth can definitely explain the increase in tax burden, but my point still stands, no? The tax burden is not shifting from the wealthy to the poor. And if you look at the bottom quintile, their tax burden has fallen, even though income continues to rise.

The wealthier are paying a lower percent of their wealth/income, it's just they make so much more than the masses it doesn't matter. Should think of the marginal utility of their funds. If a $20,000 a year person pays $5,000 - it's much worse than a $10,000,000 paying $100,000.

Post by xg15 » Wed, Jan 24, 2018, 1:01 AM UTC

throwaway1748 wrote: post #180

s73ver_ wrote: post #88

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"Strengthening the housing market" Other than code for "making everything much more unaffordable", what does this mean? And yeah, it's pollution for those who don't have high paying tech jobs. There are more people living in those cities than Amazon employees; their interests and needs need to be taking into consideration as well.

Unaffordable is relative. If HQ2 brings thousands of high-paying jobs with it, plus creates an ecosystem where tens of thousands of other good paying jobs are created, housing can become more affordable to more people while rising in price. Owning a house has been a part of the post-WW2 American dream for good reason, and it should remain so. And people buying homes should want their property to retain value

Post by hinkley » Wed, Jan 24, 2018, 1:11 AM UTC

bsder wrote: post #239

matchbok wrote: post #64

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Homelessness is not Amazon's problem. Automation is good. Do you want us to ride horses to work? Agreed. Agreed.

> Automation is good. Do you want us to ride horses to work? I will challenge you on this. Automation is efficient . The problem is that maximally efficient is minimally robust. Cars are wonderful, unless something disastrous happens to your roads. Then horses are better. Amazon just-in-time delivery is great. Until everybody needs the same thing--at which point local grocery stores with inventory matter. Efficient d…

    Efficient doesn't always equate to good.

Post by xienze » Wed, Jan 24, 2018, 1:17 AM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #194

xienze wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> More social services means homeless from less accommodating communities will move in. I don't know why this point seems to escape people in SF, LA, Seattle, etc. If you're homeless, you're gonna want to be where the most benefits and relaxed attitudes toward homelessness are. It's not hard to understand why this problem is at its worst in the most progressive cities.

These are all cities without overly harsh Summer and Winter seasons. That makes it easier to be outside year round. The destitute homeless in less favorable regions aren't generally mobile enough to migrate to these places.