More Corporate Welfare (Lansing Giving 4.5 Milllion to Amazon.com)

Another 4.5 million dollar grant being given to an out of state retailer. A retailer that would very likely have built here anyhow. To make things even worse one that is driving existing local retailers out of business [[So we're just trading one retail job for another). I'm sorry, but this is just absolutely insane!

LANSING - Amazon was approved Tuesday for a $4.5-million state grant to help the e-commerce giant with construction and hiring for a distribution center in Shelby Township, its third such site in Michigan.


http://www.freep.com/story/money/201...shi/702256001/

Looks like this won't be a regional bid for the Amazon HQ2.

By doing this, Macomb county may use this as an excuse to pull out of fixing public transit in Metro Detroit.

Southfield is bidding alone to get the Amazon HQ2 placed at the old Northland mall, giving Oakland county to play an excuse card to continue their isolationist policies of today.

It would be funny though if Amazon HQ2 still doesn't come here and this is all we get from these efforts.

To be clear, this is for another distribution center. This has nothing to do with HQ2.

Yes, this grant is for a distribution center. I guess this could have gone in the existing Amazon thread, I didn't even realize that was still going.

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Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Another 4.5 million dollar grant being given to an out of state retailer. A retailer that would very likely have built here anyhow. To make things even worse one that is driving existing local retailers out of business [[So we're just trading one retail job for another). I'm sorry, but this is just absolutely insane!

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It is insane. Yet, we constantly demand that government solve our problems. So government does. And we are unhappy. Rinse. Repeat. Definition of insanity is letting government allocate monies to private companies at all. Period.

I will take exception to the pejorative 'driving out' of existing retailers. Nothing Amazon is doing is driving anyone out. They are simply providing a better service. Competition. Target is struggling to do online right. Use Home Depot's online website, and you'll cry. Wal-Mart was sinking, but bought Jet and has a pretty good system for buying and delivery now. Competition.

And Amazon alse seems to be doing a better job of taking the money our state [[and city and county) officials are begging to give away. The problem is us. Not the company that takes money for free.

It is so crazy that millions in taxpayer dollars are given to a warehouse for the wealthiest man and most successful retailer on the planet, when there is no net economic benefit [[the warehouse just allows Amazon to undercut local brick-and-mortar retail; it isn't like Michiganders are going to buy more toilet paper because we gave Amazon millions). Insane.

I also bet you that the same people who have no problem lavishing Amazon with subsidies have a huge problem with govt. actually helping people with education, healthcare, food and childcare.

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Originally Posted by Bham1982

I also bet you that the same people who have no problem lavishing Amazon with subsidies have a huge problem with govt. actually helping people with education, healthcare, food and childcare.

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I find it more bizarre that the same people whom have a problem with this largesse have no problem with subsidies for the new stadiums. 'Cause, you know, go sports team!

Personally, I have a problem with all of it, including the regressive and inefficient welfare system.

The state already owes over 9 billion in credits.Whats another 4 mil,chump change.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/taxanal.../#5216c71c75ba

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Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

It is insane. Yet, we constantly demand that government solve our problems. So government does. And we are unhappy. Rinse. Repeat. Definition of insanity is letting government allocate monies to private companies at all. Period.

I will take exception to the pejorative 'driving out' of existing retailers. Nothing Amazon is doing is driving anyone out. They are simply providing a better service. Competition. Target is struggling to do online right. Use Home Depot's online website, and you'll cry. Wal-Mart was sinking, but bought Jet and has a pretty good system for buying and delivery now. Competition.

And Amazon alse seems to be doing a better job of taking the money our state [[and city and county) officials are begging to give away. The problem is us. Not the company that takes money for free.

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A seller has a product for sale,they list it on Amazon.

Somebody in China buys one,copies it and relists it on Amazon cheaper then the original seller can,so Amazon dumps the original seller in favor of the cheaper new seller.

They are actualy doing what Wal mart did in the physical sense but now in the online aspect.

So it is hard to compete in brick and mortar and online without being run over by cheap foreign knock-offs.

They are just a sub-set of Ali baba without actually calling it that.

I buy American-made commodities delivered to my door cheaper than I can at Walgreens.

Cheap prices, even for knock-offs, benefit less-fortunate Americans. 25% reduction in Whole Paycheck prices. Bring on competition. Down with lazy domestic manufacturing and retailing.

What does wal-greens sell that is made in America?

The retail is all the same crap just sold under a different marquee.

The poor cannot afford to buy cheap products because they actualy spend more buying it or actually renting it over and over.

Lazy domestic manufacturing comes back to haunt and does not last,are they actually lazy or supplying us with what we want,cheap crap delivered now,to our door and who cares if our neighbor can afford the same,who is actually being lazy?

The other amazon center in Michigan was just a transfer center or sorting center this is an actual distribution center,Which usually employs up to 1200 starting out at $11 per hour and three years down the road they will still be making $11 per hour,so little chance of advancing and a lot easier to work at mc Donald's,same basic first job situation.

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Originally Posted by Richard

What does wal-greens sell that is made in America?

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Potato chips!
Beyond that, I'll defer to Wesley Mouch

Its a bit myopic to say that Amazon is good because Amazon is cheap. Our economic policy should be more nuanced than, "How low can we drive the cost of consumer goods?"

If our goal was truly wealth creation, we'd use our tax system to encourage business creation and ownership in state. Yes, low prices would help in that arena, but if Amazon wipes out the ability of all others to compete due to its unfettered monopoly and access to subsidized Asian goods, created in factories where substandard work rules and wages are allowed, then the number of local business owners and employees in Michigan will continue to decline in a vicious race to the bottom.

Not to mention the physical deformation of our communities that we allow when we enable Amazon to enter our marketplace.

In the end we will be the third world country supplying the other country's with cheap products.

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Originally Posted by Kevgoblu

Potato chips!
Beyond that, I'll defer to Wesley Mouch

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Potato chips are a growth industry.

The ultimate irony is the very same people who are offended by this "corporate welfare" [[which it very much is) are the same people that refuse to except any New Taxes to replace the archaic ones we are still saddled with in this state leaving us in a economic purgatory.

It's like showing up at a horse race with a 300lb. jockey and expecting to win, it will not matter if it's a good horse or not. The whole plan to win the race has to be effective or someone with a better plan will win and it certainly won't be Michigan they way we have been doing it.

That fact has already been proven repeatedly around here for decades.

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Originally Posted by canuck

Potato chips are a growth industry.

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Not for the Irish at one time.