Joni Balter, Columnist

Amazon Has Made Seattle Richer and Angrier

Why the company’s charm offensive in its hometown has fallen short so far.

May 12, 2017 at 2:00 PM UTC

By Joni Balter

Joni Balter is a longtime Seattle columnist and writer who contributes to local NPR and PBS affiliates.

Promising something more.
Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg

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Strolling through the bustling construction zone of Amazon’s urban campus in Seattle, you instantly recognize the charm offensive the company has aimed at its hometown. “Banistas” at two outdoor stands offer bananas to employees and passers-by -- a visual cue to Amazon’s smiley logo.

Most American cities would do backflips to have a jobs juggernaut like Amazon.com Inc. in their midst. After all, the company will soon fill more than 10 million square feet of office space in a place where it now employs more than 30,000 people.