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It's a bit more complex than this (source: I live in Seattle). Seattle is saved from the impact of a lot of the progressive policies because many of them are s
by bpodgursky 6y ago
It's a bit more complex than this (source: I live in Seattle). Seattle is saved from the impact of a lot of the progressive policies because many of them are shut down by the courts (all the attempts to instate an income tax, for example).
And while the Seattle area is doing well, a lot of the growth and new jobs are now in Bellevue, not Seattle itself, to avoid the various head taxes which are proposed or enacted (which, btw, is another case of Seattle enacting a progressive tax and then immediately dropping it because of business outcry -- so it's not really correct to say that Seattle's economy is doing well "in spite of" the policy).
And as other point out... these things take time. Amazon isn't going to pull up and leave overnight. But it will shift jobs out of downtown over the course of 5 years, and Facebook and Google have easy options to do the same (Google has a large Bellevue presence as well).
- ozten 6y agoBig companies are establishing offices in both Seattle and Bellevue. It isn't an either or situation. I think sourcing talent is a bigger priority. Example: Google has a new-new building in South Lake Union, but they are also in Kirkland.
- bpodgursky 6y agoIt's true, but the SLU campus has been in the works for most of a decade. There's a really long trailing indicator on new construction, and few if any big employers are laying down plans for new downtown offices starting in 2020. Maybe it's not 100% of the goal, but I'm very confident that legal jurisdiction hedging (w/ the ability to move staff at less-than-decade notice) is a big part of splitting offices across SLU and Kirkland.
- unobtaniumstool 6y agoAs a resident of Seattle, nothing would make me happier than seeing one of our big corporate residents pack up and go elsewhere.