What are Jacksonville's chances at landing Amazon?

[copperfiend]

These jobs are low paying, low skill and many are part-time.  I realize such jobs are needed, but they are hardly the kind to build a strong economy on.   

Exactly. It's like giving companies incentives to companies to build a call center. It may create a few hundred jobs. But they are low wage jobs with high turnover.

[fsquid]

all corporations do this and they have a duty to do it to their shareholders.  International Paper has their HQ in Memphis, TN.  Right now they want a 30 year property tax moratorium in exchange for them building a new HQ and moving 100 more jobs from CT to Memphis.  If they don't, they say they will build it over the state line in MS, which hands out these incentives whenever they can.

[If_I_Loved_you]

These jobs are low paying, low skill and many are part-time.  I realize such jobs are needed, but they are hardly the kind to build a strong economy on.   

Exactly. It's like giving companies incentives to companies to build a call center. It may create a few hundred jobs. But they are low wage jobs with high turnover.

Well not everyone can be highly skilled somebody has to do these jobs.

[JFman00]

These jobs are low paying, low skill and many are part-time.  I realize such jobs are needed, but they are hardly the kind to build a strong economy on.   

Exactly. It's like giving companies incentives to companies to build a call center. It may create a few hundred jobs. But they are low wage jobs with high turnover.

Well not everyone can be highly skilled somebody has to do these jobs.

Agreed. 24% of Jacksonville residents have bachelor's compared to 25.9% of Floridians and 27.9% of the US as a whole. Not exactly a shining beacon for highly skilled/highly paid hiring. In fact, I'm having a hard time finding a major city with a lower percentage of bachelor's degrees than Jacksonville (so far the only one I'm seeing is Indianapolis EDIT: Memphis, Birmingham, Detroit, Newark, Cleveland...).

[carpnter]

These jobs are low paying, low skill and many are part-time.  I realize such jobs are needed, but they are hardly the kind to build a strong economy on.   

Exactly. It's like giving companies incentives to companies to build a call center. It may create a few hundred jobs. But they are low wage jobs with high turnover.

The world still needs ditch diggers and burger flippers. 

[copperfiend]

So we should offer incentives to companies so they can offer hundreds of low paying jobs?

[ben says]

The world still needs ditch diggers and burger flippers.

Just because we "need" them doesn't mean they need to be paid shit and treated like shit and stigmatized as holding the worst jobs on earth.

Furthermore, a lot of the "need" for these people is manufactured....supply and demand is not natural law

Shouldn't the people MAKING products be paid more than the people sitting at desks?

[JFman00]

So we should offer incentives to companies so they can offer hundreds of low paying jobs?

I'd rather we offer the incentives to get the jobs, than spending money on social services for the homeless and unemployed.

[JFman00]

The world still needs ditch diggers and burger flippers.

Just because we "need" them doesn't mean they need to be paid shit and treated like shit and stigmatized as holding the worst jobs on earth.

Furthermore, a lot of the "need" for these people is manufactured....supply and demand is not natural law

Shouldn't the people MAKING products be paid more than the people sitting at desks?

Good luck with that.

[funwithteeth]

Shouldn't the people MAKING products be paid more than the people sitting at desks?

So jobs that require minimal-to-no skill should pay more than jobs that require experience and education?

[copperfiend]

Shouldn't the people MAKING products be paid more than the people sitting at desks?

I guess it depends on what they are making. Is it a jet engine or a Big Bacon Classic?

[funwithteeth]

I have no problem with people making jet engines making more money than I do. I'd be a little miffed if the girl making my latte was pulling in more dough than me, however! (If being a coffee jockey meant also making a living wage, I never would have quit Starbucks all those years ago.)

[simms3]

If that happens we should also be able to collect sales tax off them so they won't have an unfair advantage in the marketplace.

How does a company located thousands of miles away have an unfair advantage over a business located next door?

umm...by not charging (or paying) 7% in sales tax

A lot of states have recently passed laws that force sales tax on online sales.  GA passed such a law either this year or last year, so no matter whether you're buying from a bricks and mortar store or on Amazon/Ebay you are going to pay 8%.

[simms3]

Shouldn't the people MAKING products be paid more than the people sitting at desks?

I guess it depends on what they are making. Is it a jet engine or a Big Bacon Classic?

Hahaha

[carpnter]

The world still needs ditch diggers and burger flippers.

Just because we "need" them doesn't mean they need to be paid shit and treated like shit and stigmatized as holding the worst jobs on earth.

Furthermore, a lot of the "need" for these people is manufactured....supply and demand is not natural law

Shouldn't the people MAKING products be paid more than the people sitting at desks?

If you want to pay $12 for a burger at a fast food joint you go right ahead and fight for unskilled labor getting paid more than they currently are.