Opening the stacks
Opening the stacks
Amazon's acquisition of substantial tax credits from JobsOhio, a quasi-private agency, demonstrates how states use subsidies to attract large employers, often through nontransparent processes.
2 chapters across 1 book
The chapter traces Todd's ongoing struggles with unstable employment, legal troubles, and opioid dependency within the economically declining context of Dayton, Ohio. It highlights the interplay between domestic violence, poverty, and the criminal justice system, illustrating how incarceration and injury exacerbate economic and familial instability. Concurrently, the chapter situates these personal hardships against broader regional economic transformations, including the rise of Amazon's fulfillment centers facilitated by opaque state tax incentives, signaling a shift from manufacturing innovation to logistics-driven industrialization.
The chapter 'Cardboard' traces the historical and economic trajectory of Dayton, Ohio, from its industrial heyday marked by inventions like the mechanical cash register and innovations by figures such as Kettering, to its decline amid deindustrialization and the rise of new economic forces like Amazon. It highlights the social consequences of this shift, including economic hardship, demographic changes, and the impact of corporate tax incentives on local governance. The chapter also touches on the environmental and labor implications of the booming fulfillment and packaging industry, particularly the massive scale of cardboard use driven by e-commerce.