Bernie Sanders Introduces 'Stop BEZOS' Bill To Tax Amazon For Underpaying Workers

[DamianTV]

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/18/09...paying-workers

A public spat between Amazon Sen. Bernie Sanders over workers' wages escalated Wednesday as the Vermont independent introduced a bill aimed at taxing big companies whose employees rely on federal benefits to make ends meet. From a report:

Sanders' Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act (abbreviated "Stop BEZOS") -- along with Khanna's House of Representatives counterpart, the Corporate Responsibility and Taxpayer Protection Act -- 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.

These companies do exploit workers. They also exploit the govt. Then they turn around and take their tax breaks and huge incentives to buy off politicians. Now, not that I like Berie, but how many of these companies are able to do what they do because Govt subsidizes their low pay?

[specsaregood]

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/18/09...paying-workers

These companies do exploit workers. They also exploit the govt. Then they turn around and take their tax breaks and huge incentives to buy off politicians. Now, not that I like Berie, but how many of these companies are able to do what they do because Govt subsidizes their low pay?

How about the other question: how many people employed by those companies wouldn't have jobs if the govt wasn't subsidizing their low pay?

You pass this bill and lots of dead weight would be getting laid off immediately, just saying.

[DamianTV]

How about the other question: how many people employed by those companies wouldn't have jobs if the govt wasn't subsidizing their low pay?

You pass this bill and lots of dead weight would be getting laid off immediately, just saying.

I agree. I dont think the solution is a Tax tho. I think the best solution is to get Govt out of propping up companies as much as possible, while simultaneously holding big companies accountable when their actions are crimes for you, me and everyone else, except them.

But lets focus on how Free Markets would fix these problems instead of the idea we need Govt to protect us.

[VIDEODROME]

Well, why wouldn't these people have jobs anymore just because government aid is taken away? All that means is they'll struggle harder to make ends meet especially if they get sick or struggle paying for food, housing, and transportation. If they can't do it, they'll be fired and replaced.

I'm not saying there is anything good about that, but I just question whether such companies care how their workers get along outside working hours or whether yanking government aid would suddenly get them to raise wages.

[specsaregood]

Well, why wouldn't these people have jobs anymore just because government aid is taken away? All that means is they'll struggle harder to make ends meet especially if they get sick or struggle paying for food, housing, and transportation. If they can't do it, they'll be fired and replaced.

I'm not saying there is anything good about that, but I just question whether such companies care how their workers get along outside working hours or whether yanking government aid would suddenly get them to raise wages.

This bill does not propose eliminating the government aid. It proposes taxing the employer to pay for the aid. The simple solution to that for the employer is to fire those workers, as many as possible.

This is doubly bad as the employer has no say in the matter of whether the employee gets the aid AND has no control over the personal decisions that put the employee in the position where they need the aid.

[Swordsmyth]

As usual socialists will end up hurting the poor with the very measures they claim will help them.

Just end the welfare!

[RJ Liberty]

I love the name of this bill.

[nikcers]

I love the name of this bill.

I don't know if I am saying it wrong but when I say it- it sounds like "sloppy joes"

[RJ Liberty]

I don't know if I am saying it wrong but when I say it- it sounds like "sloppy joes"

Same.

[nikcers]

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/18/09...paying-workers



These companies do exploit workers. They also exploit the govt. Then they turn around and take their tax breaks and huge incentives to buy off politicians. Now, not that I like Berie, but how many of these companies are able to do what they do because Govt subsidizes their low pay?

This would only really make sense for people who don't understand how jobs get created. The government can't just tell the market how much labor costs, if Amazon decide to do business in your market because you subsidize the cost of doing business it will not give them incentive to pay more for the same amount of goods if they can get more goods elsewhere for the same price they will.

This is a really bad strategy for the workforce currently, I don't see it viable for the long term, I don't see how people can even try to do the math but if you just look at the numbers I think its terrible to give people the incentive to work as little as possible so they get government benefits which usually gets people into this perpetual cycle of never getting out of it because the other opportunities that they might have don't exactly have as many benefits.

[kpitcher]

I assume walmart will be hurt more than any other corporation.

I'm not an HR person, can you discriminate against a worker if they would fit into getting welfare? That's what this will cause. Part time help will need to be non parents to get the job instead of someone trying to work their way out of poverty.

[Aratus]

NIKE also is horridly lousy, in the way it pays workers.
But it generated a TON of Internet publicity with an ad.