Jon Talton seems to be mystified by the Amazon “blunder” of making a last-minute (more than $1 million) contribution to a political action committee associated with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce just before the 2019 Seattle City Council election [“A new focus at Seattle’s chamber faces an old roadblock at the City Council,” April 16, Business].
Amazon did so because it could. Amazon has bullied and extorted its way to its current dominance over states, cities, unions and the working class. And if it is not repeating that “blunder,” it is not because it has learned its lesson. It is because it no longer is able to contribute money to campaigns in Seattle. In 2020, the city council passed the Seattle Clean Campaigns Act, prohibiting corporations with significant ownership by foreign shareholders (greater than 5%) from making independent expenditures (contributions) to political campaigns in Seattle. That prohibition excluded more than 20 corporations operating in Seattle from influencing elections in the city.
Bravo to Fix Democracy First, Free Speech for People and the Seattle City Council for putting their foot down and supporting our democracy.
Linda Brewster, Port Townsend