But it is Amazon’s hardball tactics that have caught the attention of city council members and the national media covering the debate. Amazon is in the midst of a high-profile search for a second headquarters in one of 20 other cities. Seattle and surrounding King County declared a state of emergency over homelessness in 2015, but since then, cost-of-living pressures have worsened. “We are reeling under skyrocketing rents and an acute crisis in the availability of affordable housing,” said Seattle council member Kshama Sawant, who supports the measure. Over the years in Seattle, Amazon says it has invested $3.7 billion in its facilities and paid more than $25 billion in salaries.

Source: Washington Post May 10, 2018 21:36 UTC