The Seattle City Council, trying to solve it's growing homeless problem, passed a “head tax” that levied a $275 per employee tax on Seattle businesses making more than $20 million a year.
Then, Amazon announced that it was halting construction on a downtown Seattle tower. The company was considering subleasing space instead—implying that they might leave Seattle if the head tax passed. Then the Building and Construction Trades Council (building that tower) protested the tax saying it would kill construction jobs.
The council then voted to repeal that head tax, in a 7-2 vote.
What changed council members’ minds was a campaign opposing the tax and also criticizing Seattle’s city council. Council members worried that they’d get voted out of office.
I found this story very interesting. Politicians/people, who want to tax businesses/wealthy individuals to pay for all the social programs, just want those businesses/wealthy individuals to "pay up." But those businesses/wealthy individuals have choices. They can move their HQ, or move their primary residence, or pay a lot of tax lawyers to figure out how to game the system. Corporations move their HQ out of the US to avoid taxes.
So don't assume that "taxing the wealthy corporations and individuals" is the answer. Because they also have options and they will figure out a way to minimize their tax liability.
I also thought it was VERY interesting that politicians stopped fighting when they thought it might cost them their jobs.
Here's the article:
How Amazon Killed Seattle's Head Tax - The Atlantic