---
[ WORLD WATCH ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch)
# CityWatch Today: Amazon Gives to End Homelessness? That’s Rich.
November 29 2018
Written by Laura Flanders.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
GUEST COMMENTARY--They call it Giving Tuesday, and we’ve just marked the seventh annual this week. It’s supposed to kick off a season of charitable giving, but the way some corporate robber barons use it for public relations is enough to turn your stomach.
So let’s rename it Stomach-Turning Tuesday. This year’s prime stomach-turner was Amazon, of course. The corporate megastore that would sell everything to everybody and put all competition out of business publicizes its December-long #DeliveringSmiles program that supposedly gives away toys to kids. This year, they announced they’ll give half a million dollars away in toys and throw in an additional $1 for every mile their #DeliveringSmiles trucks drive during their holiday giving tour.
Whom will Amazon give those extra dollars-on-the-mile to? The National Alliance to End Homelessness. That’s rich.
This is the same trillion dollar corporation that just extracted billions of taxpayer dollars in what amount to bribes from two cash-strapped states: Virginia and New York. Those public billions could have gone to public housing or transit or other public services. Instead, they’ll go to Amazon—one of the world's richest companies—to defray their costs for doing business.
What’s in store for local residents? Well, Amazon’s first home, the city of Seattle, is now the third most expensive housing market in the country. When Amazon arrived, it wasn’t even close. According to the real estate site Zillow, home prices in Seattle rose 73% in the last five years and rents another 31%.
Call me cynical, but I’d bet those Giving Tuesday dollars that Amazon’s giving to fight homelessness will come as cold comfort to those in Long Island City and Crystal City who are about to be made homeless.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for giving. But this isn’t charity, it’s feudalism. Aristocratic Amazon is tossing crumbs to peasants. And don’t forget—for all those so-called charitable gifts, the company gets to claim a tax break. That picks yet more money out of public pockets and puts it back in the corporation’s. If only it happened just one day a year instead of every Robber Baron week.
***([Laura Flanders](https://www.commondreams.org/author/laura-flanders)*** *is a best-selling author and broadcaster who hosts the The Laura Flanders Show, where she interviews forward thinking people about the key questions of our time. Posted earlier at [Common Dreams.](http://commondreams.org))*
*-cw*
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/116 "USA Radio Museum - Wide")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Last Name
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33710-bass-is-out-raman-is-in-is-los-angeles-trading-failure-for-a-bigger-crisis)
### [Bass Is Out. Raman Is In. Is Los Angeles Trading Failure for a Bigger Crisis?](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33710-bass-is-out-raman-is-in-is-los-angeles-trading-failure-for-a-bigger-crisis)
THE BOTTOM LINE - Karen Bass lost the confidence of Los Angeles voters. Nithya Raman won their support. But can a new m…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33687-first-test-of-next-governor-s-leadership-demand-a-full-forensic-audit-of-bullet-train)
### [First Test of Next Governor`s Leadership: Demand a Full Forensic Audit of Bullet Train](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33687-first-test-of-next-governor-s-leadership-demand-a-full-forensic-audit-of-bullet-train)
NICK’S VIEW - For a case study in lost public trust and squandered taxpayer money, look no further than California’s hi…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33698-a-great-night-for-america-and-a-warning-to-both-parties)
### [A Great Night for America—and a Warning to Both Parties](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33698-a-great-night-for-america-and-a-warning-to-both-parties)
FRED TALK - The opinions in this column are solely mine and I stand by them. I did not write yesterday because I wanted…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33704-nithyas-budget-buzz-saw)
### [Nithya’s Budget Buzz Saw](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33704-nithyas-budget-buzz-saw)
LA WATCHDOG - Nithya Raman, our new mayor, will inherit a budget that is a river of red ink. According to the First Fi…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33709-progress-not-presto-chango)
### [Progress, Not Presto-Chango](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33709-progress-not-presto-chango)
IN MY VIEW - If We Want People Off the Streets, We Have to Give Them Somewhere to Go. I was about five years old, wa…
---
## [ WORLD WATCH ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/33600-israels-fateful-election-a-nation-on-the-brink)### [Israel’s Fateful Election: A Nation On The Brink](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/33600-israels-fateful-election-a-nation-on-the-brink)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/33501-the-slow-motion-erasure-of-the-west-bank)### [The Slow-Motion Erasure Of The West Bank](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/33501-the-slow-motion-erasure-of-the-west-bank)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/32951-venezuela-needs-the-world-more-than-ever-english-spanish)### [Venezuela Needs the World More Than Ever \[English & Spanish\]](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/32951-venezuela-needs-the-world-more-than-ever-english-spanish)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/32873-netanyahus-betrayal-of-israels-promise)### [Netanyahu’s Betrayal Of Israel’s Promise](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/32873-netanyahus-betrayal-of-israels-promise)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/32727-turkeys-egregious-human-rights-violations-are-beyond-the-pale)### [Turkey’s Egregious Human Rights Violations Are Beyond The Pale](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/world-watch/32727-turkeys-egregious-human-rights-violations-are-beyond-the-pale)