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Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

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Luke
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Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#1

Post by Luke »

Whoa! Who at Amazon approved tangling with Liz Warren? This is really surprising coming from them. "...And fight to break up Big Tech so you’re not powerful enough to heckle senators with snotty tweets.” is so Liz! :lol:
Amazon tangles with Warren on Twitter
BY CELINE CASTRONUOVO - 03/26/21 11:12 PM EDT

Amazon on Thursday engaged in a heated Twitter exchange with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) after the lawmaker claimed that it and other large corporations “exploit loopholes and tax havens to pay close to nothing in taxes.” The exchange began after Warren tweeted a clip from Thursday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing, in which she accused Amazon and other companies of “manipulating the tax code to avoid paying their fair share.” Hours later, the Amazon News Twitter account responded with, “You make the tax laws @SenWarren; we just follow them.” “If you don’t like the laws you’ve created, by all means, change them,” Amazon tweeted, adding that the tech giant “has paid billions of dollars in corporate taxes over the past few years alone.”

Amazon went on to say, “In 2020, we had another $1.7B in federal tax expense and that’s on top of the $18 billion we generated in sales taxes for states and localities in the U.S. Congress designed tax laws to encourage investment in the economy.” The company added that since 2010, it has invested $350 billion in the U.S. economy and in 2020, added 400,000 new jobs across the country. “And while you’re working on changing the tax code, can we please raise the federal minimum wage to $15?” Amazon asked Warren.

1/3 You make the tax laws @SenWarren; we just follow them. If you don’t like the laws you’ve created, by all means, change them. Here are the facts: Amazon has paid billions of dollars in corporate taxes over the past few years alone.
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) March 26, 2021

3/3 So what have we done about that? $350B in investments since 2010 & 400K new US jobs last year alone. And while you’re working on changing the tax code, can we please raise the federal minimum wage to $15?
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) March 26, 2021

Warren later Thursday evening hit back at Amazon, tweeting, “I didn’t write the loopholes you exploit … your armies of lawyers and lobbyists did.”
“But you bet I’ll fight to make you pay your fair share,” she continued. “And fight your union-busting. And fight to break up Big Tech so you’re not powerful enough to heckle senators with snotty tweets.”

I didn’t write the loopholes you exploit, @amazon – your armies of lawyers and lobbyists did. But you bet I’ll fight to make you pay your fair share. And fight your union-busting. And fight to break up Big Tech so you’re not powerful enough to heckle senators with snotty tweets. https://t.co/3vCAI93MST
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 26, 2021

In a final message to the senator, Amazon responded to Warren’s tweet Friday afternoon, arguing that “one of the most powerful politicians in the United States just said she’s going to break up an American company so that they can’t criticize her anymore.”

This is extraordinary and revealing. One of the most powerful politicians in the United States just said she’s going to break up an American company so that they can’t criticize her anymore. https://t.co/Nt0wcZo17g
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) March 26, 2021

Warren has repeatedly aimed criticism at Amazon and other corporations for having overwhelming power in the U.S. economy. A wealth tax proposed by the Democratic lawmaker late last month would result in the 100 richest Americans paying more than $78 billion in taxes annually, according to an analysis by Bloomberg News. Under the bill, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who is currently the richest person in the world, would face an additional $5.4 billion in taxes.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/545 ... on-twitter

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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#2

Post by tek »

not sure what is up in Corporate Communications at Amazon.. this does not sound like something a real company would allow.

The Verge:
All of this leads us to believe that Amazon either thinks it is so powerful and untouchable that it can openly taunt the few Congress members who’ve expressed desires to regulate Big Tech, or the company has simply handed the Twitter reins to an internet culture warrior who thinks they’re battling in the trenches of a Breitbart comment section. Maybe both.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/26/2235 ... ee-bottles
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#3

Post by jcolvin2 »

orlylicious wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 4:07 am Whoa! Who at Amazon approved tangling with Liz Warren? This is really surprising coming from them. "...And fight to break up Big Tech so you’re not powerful enough to heckle senators with snotty tweets.” is so Liz! :lol:
Wow. I thought there was an inalienable American right to heckle Senators with snotty tweets. Also, sort of bad form for Warren to blame Amazon’s “lawyers and lobbyists” for the tax laws. (It’s the rhetorical equivalent of saying that all politicians are crooked.) I don’t think that Amazon had much input into the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (which was put together in secret by Republicans). Prior to that, there had only been incremental changes to the federal tax code since about 1986 (when the last major tax reform took place). Moreover, I don’t think that Warren really understands the primary driver for Amazon’s low tax bill: Amazon reinvests its earnings in its operations. (At least on a personal level, this has made surviving the pandemic much easier.)

Given that Amazon did not demonstrate the level of restraint we normally see from big corporations, it is sort of depressing to see Senator Warren come off the worse in this exchange.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#4

Post by Luke »

Kept checking to see if this was a joke story or something. Amazon is always so buttoned up, it was pretty remarkable. Techdirt has a story that points out the danger of government threatening private businesses, agree that this wasn't Senator Warren's finest moment. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210 ... eets.shtml
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#5

Post by pipistrelle »

Just reading the parts quoted here, I don’t see anything untoward in Amazon’s response. They’re promoting their corporate responsibility or whatever it’s called now.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#6

Post by tek »

Maybe Anthony Scaramucci took a job in communications at Amazon? :batting:
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#7

Post by Foggy »

orlylicious wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 5:17 pm ... this wasn't Senator Warren's finest moment.
She's still mad that my vote didn't put her over the top in the primary last year. And who can blame her? :lol:
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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#8

Post by AndyinPA »

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... ss-sharing
Amazon customers have one week to opt out of a plan that would turn every Echo speaker and Ring security camera in the US into a shared wireless network, as part of the company’s plan to fix connection problems for its smart home devices.

The proposal, called Amazon Sidewalk, involves the company’s devices being used as a springboard to build city-wide “mesh networks” that help simplify the process of setting up new devices, keep them online even if they’re out of range of home wifi, and extend the range of tracking devices such as those made by Tile.

But Sidewalk has come under fire for the apparent lack of transparency with which Amazon has rolled out the feature, as well as the limited time available for users to complete the tricky process required to opt out. Other critics have expressed concerns that failing to turn the setting off could leave customers in breach of their internet service provider’s terms and conditions.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#9

Post by tek »

So Comcast/Xfinity has already done this with all of their customer gateways, but they do it with their own 'backhaul' (connection to the internet)

What's different here is that Amzn is using someone else's (your) backhaul.

Also not clear the Amzn devices are properly set up to keep all these foreign devices off YOUR network.

Here at casa tek, all these things (refrigerator, oven, nest, thermostats) go on the guest network with no access to the house network.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#10

Post by Editor Korir »

I don’t have a refrigerator programmed by my phone. I feel like such a Luddite.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#11

Post by raison de arizona »

is here:
settings -> account settings -> amazon sidewalk
turned on by default, but the one switch will turn it off for all your devices

supposedly
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#12

Post by tek »

Editor Korir wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:28 pm I don’t have a refrigerator programmed by my phone. I feel like such a Luddite.
The appliances came with the house.

Stupid refrigerator, with terminally defective ice maker, feels it must announce when the oven RIGHT NEXT TO IT has completed its incredibly slow preheat cycle.

I will never, ever, buy Samsung kitchen appliances.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#13

Post by slq »

covfefe wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:32 pm is here:
settings -> account settings -> amazon sidewalk
turned on by default, but the one switch will turn it off for all your devices

supposedly
Just disabled it. It WAS enabled. Thanks.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#14

Post by RVInit »

My Alexa app does not have that setting! I have Alexa app for iPhone. I do not see any option to "update" so it appears I have the latest version. I have followed the instructions perfectly and I do not have any such option. Anyone else failing to find that option?
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#15

Post by AndyinPA »

RVInit wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:12 pm My Alexa app does not have that setting! I have Alexa app for iPhone. I do not see any option to "update" so it appears I have the latest version. I have followed the instructions perfectly and I do not have any such option. Anyone else failing to find that option?
Mine doesn't either. I suspect it might only be devices that can "see." I have a doorbell ring, but it's not a security device. Maybe? But it's not there either. We are in the process of setting up Blink, which is now Amazon. I'm surprised this isn't included.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#16

Post by Kendra »

I have Fire tablets, but turn off Alexa. Freaks me out, especially when it's next to another device that's playing a teevee commercial and someone says Alexa and the tablet does some weird wakeup flashy thing.

I am at a loss as to why a refrigerator needs the internet...
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#17

Post by AndyinPA »

We recently bought a new smart TV. The store that we bought it in had $10,000 + refrigerators. I'll bet they were connected to the internet.
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#18

Post by sugar magnolia »

AndyinPA wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:43 pm We recently bought a new smart TV. The store that we bought it in had $10,000 + refrigerators. I'll bet they were connected to the internet.
But did they have $699 hats?
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#19

Post by Slim Cognito »

Was able to turn mine off. Thx!
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#20

Post by AndyinPA »

sugar magnolia wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:53 pm
AndyinPA wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:43 pm We recently bought a new smart TV. The store that we bought it in had $10,000 + refrigerators. I'll bet they were connected to the internet.
But did they have $699 hats?
Nah, but they might have had the $8,000 ones. ;)
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#21

Post by RTH10260 »

Kendra wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:35 pm I have Fire tablets, but turn off Alexa. Freaks me out, especially when it's next to another device that's playing a teevee commercial and someone says Alexa and the tablet does some weird wakeup flashy thing.

I am at a loss as to why a refrigerator needs the internet...
When the burglar has eaten his way thru the delicacies while you are on a business trip the fridge has to ask you to reorder the missing crunchies and munchies ;)
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#22

Post by Luke »

Here comes Prime Day June 21-22!

Here are a few offers in advane. Just did the $10 credit... just buy $40 in gift cards and Amazon will give you another $10 promo credit within 2 days. Free money! Use the code below (this is an affiliate code for Apple Insider, looked for a direct link but didn't find it, doesn't matter for the offer. If you like cnet or another better, search for Prime Day Gift Card and you'll see other stories with the link). https://www.amazon.com/b?node=144852640 ... s_li_ss_tl

Prime members only: Get $10 promotional credit when you spend $40 or more on select Amazon gift cards at Amazon (use code: GIFTFORPD21 or hit "Apply code to your account" button).

***

It's a discount, but really, our library has so many audiobooks through their apps that we've stopped using the Audible service.

Prime members only: Audible Premium Plus 4-month membership for $27.80 ($6.95/month) at Amazon (auto-renews at $14.95/month after first four months—normally $60).


***

This is cool too -- Amazon has a HD Music product. We pay the $7.99 so we don't qualify for the 4 free months, but just saw they are making their HD Music product included! It's a free upgrade. We can really hear the difference on the Echos (we have 2 as a stereo pair). https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/ ... v_dmusic_2

HD MUSIC FOR ALL
Get our highest quality audio at no extra cost going forward.

New subscribers + Prime members only: Amazon Music Unlimited 4-month membership for free at Amazon (auto-renews at $8/month after first four months, three months free for non-Prime members—normally $24).
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#23

Post by RTH10260 »

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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#24

Post by raison de arizona »

Opinion: On Claiming The Child Tax Credit
June 12, 20216:29 AM ET
Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday

The phrase, "Poor Jeff Bezos..." is probably not much uttered. I won't try to say it now without irony.

But when ProPublica reported this week that Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk, George Soros and Mark Zuckerberg were among billionaires who paid little or no income tax in recent years, Bezos took most of the social media vitriol. The founder of Amazon had a net worth of about $18 billion in 2011, but reportedly paid no taxes. And he got $4,000 in child tax credits.

Bezos paid no taxes because most of his wealth came from company stock, which isn't taxed until it's sold. He has four children with his then-wife MacKenzie Scott, which entitled them to a $1,000 tax credit for each child.

We spoke with Elaine Maag, principal research associate in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute, who also once worked at the IRS.

"Did we intend for Jeff Bezos to get this credit?" she asked. "Probably not. I can't imagine he had too much trouble finding and paying for child care."

She says that when the child tax credit was introduced in 1998, its purpose was to aid low and middle-income families. Ninety percent of U.S. taxpayers with children receive that credit, now set at $2,000 per child — and even higher this year with a temporary increase from the American Rescue Plan — "which I think is good for the country," Maag told us.
:snippity:

You know who is a parent that was recently paying $2k/mo in NYC for child care and was not eligible for this tax credit because NYC salaries are inflated? :thumbsup: This guy!

I mean, I don't want to be bitter though. I suppose I'm glad some of my tax dollars went to pay for child care for Jeff Bezo's children, they didn't do anything that deserves growing up in poverty, with their father making no (taxable) money year after year. Poor kids. Their dad should get a job and start providing, stop living off the government teat and all, yes?
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Re: Amazon / Amazon.com / Jeff Bezos

#25

Post by RTH10260 »

Off Topic
Just a side note. Here in Switzerland in various jurisdictions the minimal tax is based on "appearent income", eg what would be needed to finance the local life style, like paying for upkeep and mortgage of the self inhabited house / condo /apartment, the number of cars in use and certain other expenditures (like housekeeping staff).
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