Nashville, Tennessee – January 6, 2021 – In response to the announcement that Amazon would be providing $2 billion in funding for affordable housing near its offices in Puget Sound, Arlington and Nashville, Stand Up Nashville, a community organization that has organized to hold Amazon accountable, issued the following statement from Executive Director Odessa Kelly:
“The state of Tennessee forked over $100 million in taxpayer dollars to bring Amazon here. It turns out that they didn’t need that money at all – but we still do. Thanks to organizing by regular people in our city and others, Amazon has responded and today we have great news for the workers who will have a chance at an affordable, better quality of life. But our system inherently doesn’t work if Amazon gets to pick and choose when it contributes to society. The rest of us pay taxes every year to take care of our communities. Amazon should do the same. Amazon is sitting on a staggering amount of wealth, so we know that this $2 billion is just a drop in the bucket for them. If they want to be seen as a productive part of our community, they will start paying their fair share in taxes and pay workers fairly so that we, the people, can make our own decisions.”
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