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DannyB chased by a bunch of wild rabid kangaroos writes . . .
Bernie Sanders introduces 'Stop BEZOS' bill to tax Amazon for underpaying workers
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have introduced a bill that would tax companies like Amazon and Walmart for the cost of employees' food stamps and other public assistance. Sanders' Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act (abbreviated "Stop BEZOS") . . . would institute a 100 percent tax on government benefits that are granted to workers at large companies.
The bill's text characterizes this as a "corporate welfare tax," and it would apply to corporations with 500 or more employees. If workers are receiving government aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), national school lunch and breakfast programs, Section 8 housing subsidies, or Medicaid, employers will be taxed for the total cost of those benefits. The bill applies to full-time and part-time employees, as well as independent contractors that are de facto company employees.
Sanders announced his plans for the proposal last month. He emphasized today that "this discussion is not just about Amazon and [Amazon CEO] Jeff Bezos." But as the bill's name would suggest, he's been particularly critical of Amazon and Bezos who became the richest person in the world (and modern history) last year. "The taxpayers in this country should not be subsidizing a guy who's worth $150 billion, whose wealth is increasing by $260 million every single day," [ . . . rest omitted . . . ]
Food stamps, School Lunch, Medicaid, great . . . but what about employees who must shop at Walmart?
(Score: 2, Disagree) by khallow on Thursday September 06 2018, @12:16PM (4 children)
You're not getting it. All that little guy has to do is get another job with all his equipment and work environment provided for by the new employer. As to the bad decisions that result in a huge dependence on a job? He could just not do that. It's tiresome to have this continual conflation of poor choices with necessity.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 06 2018, @05:44PM (1 child)
The irony is rich here. As if we're at negative unemployment so that every little guy who suddenly finds his sole source of income gone will have a line of employers outside his door waiting looking to hire him.
The "bad decision" is to live in a society that values personal ownership of the means to provide for basic necessities and not to be born to parents who are already independently wealthy. That combination means the vast majority of us need a job if we want to have food, shelter, clothing, and health care.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday September 07 2018, @03:20AM
What's supposed to be "bad" about that? It works after all.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by digitalaudiorock on Thursday September 06 2018, @05:44PM
FTFY.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday September 06 2018, @10:02PM
That's not entirely off. But, the same applies to you, the business owner. You've invested 18 hours a day, about 360 days a year, for the past 15 years. And, the business finally goes teats up. And, all that YOU have to do to put bread on the table, is to go down the street, and get another job.
Oh - down the street, Old Sam is working. He's the shop superviser there now. He used to work for you, but you treated him like shit, and underpaid him. When you go in to ask for a job, you'll have to look Old Sam in the eye, and wonder how he's going to treat you. Forget about getting any raises any time in Sam's lifetime. You'll start at minimum wage, and you'll retire at minimum wage.