Bye Amazon, Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Butt on the Way Out

Amazon all but told South Carolina goodbye Wednesday after the online retailer lost a legislative showdown on a sales tax collection exemption it wants to open a distribution center that would bring 1,249 jobs to the Midlands.

Company officials immediately halted plans to equip and staff the one million-square-foot building under construction at I-77 and 12th Street near Cayce.

“As a result of today’s unfortunate House vote, we’ve canceled $52 million in procurement contracts and removed all South Carolina fulfillment center job postings from our (Web) site,” said Paul Misener, Amazon vice president for global public policy.

The decision came shortly after state representatives rejected the tax break 71-47.

The State

Wow, I’m slightly impressed.  I didn’t think the legislature had it in them to reject the crony capitalism that is polluting the free market throughout our country.  Amazon is a multi-billion dollar company and there is simply no reason why we should need to give them a tax break at the expense of the taxpayers who have a median household income of $39k a year in this state.

No company or industry should be granted an unfair advantage by the government over any other.  This country hasn’t operated a truly free market economy in generations.  Corporations and certain industries are protected through regulations and manipulation of the tax code and in return give nice fat kickbacks to our politicians via campaign donations.  This pay to play mentality ultimately stifles competition and innovation.

Yeah, it sucks that the state won’t get the 1200 jobs that Amazon claimed we’d allegedly get (I say allegedly because of what happened in North Carolina with Dell), but I’m pleased to see the elected tea partiers finally acting against corporate welfare, rather than just talking about it.

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