Dallas as the anti-Seattle? A Pro-business Climate May Help Texas Land Amazon's HQ2

Cities around the country were thrilled after Amazon said it was searching for a second headquarters location, but the Seattle establishment was shaken.This “should serve as a wake-up call for the region,” the president of the Seattle Metro Chamber said in a statement.And it “should come as no surprise,” she said, because “the city has continued to implement policies that create an environment that is at best unfriendly, and at worst, outright hostile toward the needs of our largest employers.”That sounds harsh, especially from a pro-business group that promotes the region, but it’s a common conclusion. From a $15 minimum wage to mandates for paid sick leave to proposals for a capital gains tax, the regulations just keep coming in Seattle and Washington state.In June, a soda tax was approved with a levy that’s eight times higher than one for beer. In July, an ordinance took effect that restricts scheduling changes at large restaurants and retailers and can require more pay for workers whose hours are extended or cut.This summer, Seattle unanimously approved an income tax on earnings over $250,000, even though it was sure to provoke a legal challenge because Washington does not have a state income tax.“It won’t be lost on historians that two months after City Hall cheered itself for ‘taxing the rich,’ Amazon chose to seek a ‘stable and business-friendly environment’ for its next act: A $5 billion investment and 50,000 new jobs,” wrote the editorial board of The Seattle Times.  Continue reading...