American taxpayers are spending billions every year providing Medicaid benefits to hundreds of thousands of employees of Amazon and Walmart, a new analysis by Popular Information reveals.
Employers have noted and used the popular government definition of a 40 hour work week, reduced in some cases to 36 hours, to hire workers for 35 hours or less so those employers do not have to offer full time benefits to those workers.
This is the critical issue to be faced by our American government if and when it wishes to fulfill its obligations to its citizens’ “life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.”
Easy to fix. Medicare for all, Take this out of the hands of the greedy corporations who only care about their bottom line. They are NEVER going to act like responsible citizens.
Yes, but if we do that, we are going to have to get those corporations to pay more taxes to cover the cost. And the majority of our legislators will not confront corporations. Corporations have us hamstrung. I'd like to see politicians talented enough and brave enough to face corporations and win.
This also doesn't cover the tax breaks these companies have received over the years. It's funny (read: not funny at all) how the likes of Amazon and Walmart enjoy benefitting from our tax money while limiting their own contributions.
Which is why we must tax corporations differently. Tax their gross revenue, not their so-called profits. That’s how you’re taxed. The IRS doesn’t care if I have anything left after expenses (my profits). Why care about theirs? When they pay the taxes up front there’s no need to worry about whether an expense is deductible or not - just whether it makes business sense. And broadening the tax base allows for lower rate for everyone.
Our Tax laws, like our immigration laws have been so corrupted by politicians over the years that there is no logical way to clean them up other than scrapping them entirely and starting over from scratch. And like Gerrymandering, the creation of these laws should not be in the hands of politicians who have proven themselves not up to the job. There should be a Commission of Citizens including specifically economists and HUMANITARIANS who are charged with devising new structure in both areas of law. While they are at it, they could come up with a universal health care plan.
Last time I checked, SCOTUS confirmed that corporations are “people”, therefore tax them as such or let ordinary citizens be taxed on their bottom line. Govt needs to pick one!
Right! Bezos and his Accountants have figured out ways to report his income at less than what I have to report as a retiree on SS. Our tax laws really need to be reformed and made fair for everybody, not just the greedy rich.
So we are finding out where all of our tax dollars go thanks to Heritage Foundation.
Turns out We do need a functioning CDC. We do need clean water, non contaminated food. We need proper medical care for all our benefit.
Women are fully human&need their rights restored.
We need infra structure the wealthy non taxpayer use with impunity. There is no trickle down. The mind boggling wealthy screw their employees&at any chance they raid, loot our treasury for welfare for them.
BTW: look at Elon, Trump, Kevin Roberts do they look like the master race?
I've always said you can't boycott everybody. But I do shop as little as possible at Wal Mart, and have for years. I still remember a WSJ article talking about how Wal Mart deliberately classifies most employees as part time, and the schedule app will automatically cut an employee's hours if they somehow get close enough to getting the hours needed to qualify for insurance. I also remember a viral story from a few years ago about a Wal Mart store doing a food drive... for its own employees.
I believe the Crystal Bridges Art Museum is getting an expansion, which is nice, but surely some of Alice Walton's fortune could be spent on treating their employees better.
I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart for 10 years. The reason I went there was for my Mom's prescriptions. I've never shopped there. I'm disgusted that Walmart can use Medicaid for their employees health insurance while paying their executives millions in compensation. They are probably not the only corporation that does this. They may not like big government, but they will take advantage of its programs and tax policy; as long as we, the people, let them.
I can't tell you the last time I shopped Walmart. And I recently ended my Amazon Prime membership. I'm so tired of this nonsense. Keep reporting these details. At some point there needs to be accountability.
The problem is that both companies have made such inroads into commerce that many small businesses have gone under because they cannot compete with prices or variety of goods. The public is spoiled by the ease of clicking on a product and having it deposited at their door in hours. The only way to get a handle on these companies would be to nationalize them both and take them out of the hands of the greedy SOBs.
Money stolen from the American people by greedy billionaires and their greedy corporations who could afford to provide those benefits out of the money they find between the cushions of the private jets or their yachts.
The greed of these employers - and those who they control in Congress across both aisles - has no end. Their greed is infinite. Their compassion non existent.
The voters are responsible for continuing to vote in these corporate representatives who will not make nor enforce laws to prevent this.
We have to break up these companies or there has to be regulation about how much an employee should make and what a CEO should make. This is despicable the difference and boils down to one word-GREED!!
I used to work in the public health system in California. This started at Amazon and WalMart as soon as the ACA was passed in the Obama administration. This is nothing new- it's been going on for YEARS.
Shut up you ingrate! Instead of complaining like a little b****, just thank us for your job that allows you to qualify for Medicaid. If I had my way, I'd get rid of this and all the other New Deal commie pinko entitlements.
Before you all come at me with pitchforks and clubs, I'm just showcasing what we're up against.
Employers have noted and used the popular government definition of a 40 hour work week, reduced in some cases to 36 hours, to hire workers for 35 hours or less so those employers do not have to offer full time benefits to those workers.
This is the critical issue to be faced by our American government if and when it wishes to fulfill its obligations to its citizens’ “life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.”
Easy to fix. Medicare for all, Take this out of the hands of the greedy corporations who only care about their bottom line. They are NEVER going to act like responsible citizens.
Yes, but if we do that, we are going to have to get those corporations to pay more taxes to cover the cost. And the majority of our legislators will not confront corporations. Corporations have us hamstrung. I'd like to see politicians talented enough and brave enough to face corporations and win.
Socialism for the rich. Past time to do something about that.
For starters increase the marginal rates on both income & capital...How about a 0.1% tax on capital value >$100 million?
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1572225700926526
This also doesn't cover the tax breaks these companies have received over the years. It's funny (read: not funny at all) how the likes of Amazon and Walmart enjoy benefitting from our tax money while limiting their own contributions.
Bezos: Income? what income?
Which is why we must tax corporations differently. Tax their gross revenue, not their so-called profits. That’s how you’re taxed. The IRS doesn’t care if I have anything left after expenses (my profits). Why care about theirs? When they pay the taxes up front there’s no need to worry about whether an expense is deductible or not - just whether it makes business sense. And broadening the tax base allows for lower rate for everyone.
Our Tax laws, like our immigration laws have been so corrupted by politicians over the years that there is no logical way to clean them up other than scrapping them entirely and starting over from scratch. And like Gerrymandering, the creation of these laws should not be in the hands of politicians who have proven themselves not up to the job. There should be a Commission of Citizens including specifically economists and HUMANITARIANS who are charged with devising new structure in both areas of law. While they are at it, they could come up with a universal health care plan.
Last time I checked, SCOTUS confirmed that corporations are “people”, therefore tax them as such or let ordinary citizens be taxed on their bottom line. Govt needs to pick one!
Agree. There aren’t many folks that would object to paying the 21% corporate tax rate on what’s leftover after expenses.
Also, some states are looking at reining in the whole corporate personhood thing.
This guy suggests wealth tax. Free to watch video:
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/talking-again-with-gabriel-zucman
Right! Bezos and his Accountants have figured out ways to report his income at less than what I have to report as a retiree on SS. Our tax laws really need to be reformed and made fair for everybody, not just the greedy rich.
I vote not funny.
This is outstanding journalism. Thank you, Judd.
So we are finding out where all of our tax dollars go thanks to Heritage Foundation.
Turns out We do need a functioning CDC. We do need clean water, non contaminated food. We need proper medical care for all our benefit.
Women are fully human&need their rights restored.
We need infra structure the wealthy non taxpayer use with impunity. There is no trickle down. The mind boggling wealthy screw their employees&at any chance they raid, loot our treasury for welfare for them.
BTW: look at Elon, Trump, Kevin Roberts do they look like the master race?
I've always said you can't boycott everybody. But I do shop as little as possible at Wal Mart, and have for years. I still remember a WSJ article talking about how Wal Mart deliberately classifies most employees as part time, and the schedule app will automatically cut an employee's hours if they somehow get close enough to getting the hours needed to qualify for insurance. I also remember a viral story from a few years ago about a Wal Mart store doing a food drive... for its own employees.
I believe the Crystal Bridges Art Museum is getting an expansion, which is nice, but surely some of Alice Walton's fortune could be spent on treating their employees better.
I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart for 10 years. The reason I went there was for my Mom's prescriptions. I've never shopped there. I'm disgusted that Walmart can use Medicaid for their employees health insurance while paying their executives millions in compensation. They are probably not the only corporation that does this. They may not like big government, but they will take advantage of its programs and tax policy; as long as we, the people, let them.
I can't tell you the last time I shopped Walmart. And I recently ended my Amazon Prime membership. I'm so tired of this nonsense. Keep reporting these details. At some point there needs to be accountability.
The problem is that both companies have made such inroads into commerce that many small businesses have gone under because they cannot compete with prices or variety of goods. The public is spoiled by the ease of clicking on a product and having it deposited at their door in hours. The only way to get a handle on these companies would be to nationalize them both and take them out of the hands of the greedy SOBs.
Money stolen from the American people by greedy billionaires and their greedy corporations who could afford to provide those benefits out of the money they find between the cushions of the private jets or their yachts.
The greed of these employers - and those who they control in Congress across both aisles - has no end. Their greed is infinite. Their compassion non existent.
The voters are responsible for continuing to vote in these corporate representatives who will not make nor enforce laws to prevent this.
Compare Bezo's obscene wealth with his exploitation of workers with this infographi:
Amazon gig worker slavery by the numbers
https://thedemlabs.org/2026/07/24/amazon-gig-worker-slavery/
Trump is tariffing Canada because he says some companies sell products produced by slave labour. The pot calling the kettle black.......
Factoid:
Cost to insure families is more than double if only because neonatal care is far and away the most expensive medical and hospital care.
There was a Canadian who was working in the US, but went home when a baby was coming. Couldn't afford to have a baby born in the US.
Yet another form of Corporate Welfare.
We have to break up these companies or there has to be regulation about how much an employee should make and what a CEO should make. This is despicable the difference and boils down to one word-GREED!!
I used to work in the public health system in California. This started at Amazon and WalMart as soon as the ACA was passed in the Obama administration. This is nothing new- it's been going on for YEARS.
It can be changed, but we need honest people in government to effect the change.
Shut up you ingrate! Instead of complaining like a little b****, just thank us for your job that allows you to qualify for Medicaid. If I had my way, I'd get rid of this and all the other New Deal commie pinko entitlements.
Before you all come at me with pitchforks and clubs, I'm just showcasing what we're up against.