Seattle , like most metro region in this state , has an elect metropolis council . Of its nine seats , seven are up for grabs this November . I ’ll give you on the nose one surmisal as to where the race ’s single orotund contribution is descend from , with the caveat that any opine other than “ Amazon ” is wrong .
Yes , the very productive party hightail it by the very richest man has so far poured $ 1.45 million into toss the composition of the reasonably reform-minded Seattle City Council towards more business - friendly alternatives . Amazon has n’t turned the money spigot on for individual campaigns — which have a $ 500individual donation limit — instead funnel its cash through The Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy , a political action commission associated with the metropolis ’s Chamber of Commerce .
As Geekwirereports , the 2nd - place donor — relatively moderate organized labor radical Service Employees International Union — racked up just over half Amazon ’s contribution amount , at $ 855,000 .
Photo: David Ryder (Getty)
Amazon ’s deepening participation in local politics come at the heel of two important scuffle hoe . Closest to dwelling house was itssuccessfulfight to repeal the so - call “ capitulum tax ” eliminate by the City Council , which would have held large company like Amazon responsible for for paying into social computer programme to alleviate the widespread homelessness in the region . Amazon deployed astroturf campaign and even reportedly held aconstruction projecthostage until it got its way .
The 2d , of form , is the spate of antimonopoly probes being launched by various government agencies , as well as a conglutination of 50 attorneys cosmopolitan , into the tech sphere ’s monopoly superpower . It does no favour for Amazon to be struggle whatever comes of those probes while pushing against hostile legislators on its home turf .
Worryingly , as Amazon ups its spending on lobby at home and in DC ( also the site of its forthcoming second military headquarters ) , it ’s deserving recalling that the company is puddle a big button into providing thevery infrastructurethat undergirds elections across the commonwealth . Even when they lose , they win !
Bottomless resources have n’t helped Amazon in at least one instance : itsill - fill out attempt to place a headquarters in New York City . Despite intense lobbying , and no shortage of bothersome mailers to future neighbour of the development , the retail behemothcut and ranafter pressure from grassroots activists , trade unions , and New York ’s City Council grew too dandy . Come November , we ’ll see if Seattle has the same resilience despite confront longer odds .
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