UPDATE 5-28-11: The House, followed by the Senate, has changed their vote against giving Amazon a 5 year break from collecting taxes on goods sold to SC residents. As a result, Amazon will be locating in South Carolina.

In addition, Altgen Corp, which pulled out of negotiations when Amazon announced they were scrapping the SC deal, is reopening negotiations to locate in SC.
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The State Paper reported today that two companies have cancelled plans to build in SC after Legislators voted against giving Amazon a five year exemption on collecting sales tax on merchandise sold via the internet to SC residents, a promise made by previous governor Sanford.

One would have brought 200 jobs but may have required up to 20 million dollars in incentives to come here. “Our concern is you get incentives and get the commitment for it and the state changes the rules of the game,” operations manager Chip Harriford of Altgen said. “Our financiers are not willing to take that risk.”

Bloom Energy, San Francisco, dropped their interest in building in SC as well, deciding to expand by employing up to 1000 more people in their home area.

In less than three days of political promises being broken resulting in Amazon dropping SC, costing the state 1200+ jobs, two more companies have dropped their potential plans as well, taking another possible 1200 jobs with them. That is a total of 2400 potential jobs which won’t be available – so far.

How many more future jobs won’t happen because businesses may now feel they can’t trust South Carolina? There is no way to know because some will probably slap SC off the table without ever considering coming here.

Some SC residents need to think outside the box for once. Consider all the incentives Amazon had already been given to locate in SC. Consider the fact that the distribution center was already being built. What broke the deal? The fact that some politicians voted to force them to collect sales taxes on merchandise BOUGHT BY SC RESIDENTS! In other words, after all that was given to Amazon, the deal fell through BECAUSE SC WANTED SALES TAXES FROM RESIDENTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA! SC was willing to jump through hoops to get Amazon here, but the bottom line was, they weren’t willing to give up five years of digging in the pockets of it’s residents who buy through Amazon for five years to seal the deal. Think about that.

Here is a list of Representatives who voted for and against giving Amazon the tax break:

YES, give the five year extension

M. Allison, R-Spartanburg, T. Atwater, R-Lexington, N. Ballentine, R-Richland, B. Bannister, R-Greenville, J. Battle, D-Marion, K. Bingham, R-Lexington, J. Brady, R-Richland, L. Branham, D-Florence, N. Brannon, R-Spartanburg, C. Brantley, D-Jasper, H. Brown, D-Fairfield, M. Butler Garrick, D-Richland, W. Clyburn, D-Aiken, G. Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, J. Cole, R-Spartanburg, D. Cooper, R-Anderson, J. Daning, R-Berkeley, P. Forrester, R-Spartanburg, M. Frye, R-Lexington, M. Gambrell, R-Anderson, R. Harrell, R-Charleston, J. Harrison, R-Richland, C. Hart, D-Richland, J. Hayes, D-Dillon, C. Huggins, R-Lexington, P. Knight, D-Dorchester, D. Loftis, R-Greenville, D. Mack, D-Charleston, W. McLeod, D-Newberry, H. Mitchell, D-Spartanburg, V. Moss, R-Cherokee, J. Neal, D-Richland, D. Neilson, D-Darlington, H. Ott, D-Calhoun, A. Patrick, R-Beaufort, R. Quinn, R-Lexington, J. Rutherford, D-Richland, R. Sabb, D-Williamsburg, B. Sellers, D-Bamberg, B. Skelton, R-Pickens, J. Smith, D-Richland, F. Sottile, R-Charleston, K. Spires, R-Lexington, L. Stavrinakis, D-Charleston, T. Stringer, R-Greenville, E. Tallon, R-Spartanburg, M. Toole, R-Lexington

NO

P. Agnew, D-Abbeville, T. Alexander, D-Florence, K. Allen, D-Greenville, C. Anderson, D-Georgetown, M. Anthony, D-Spartanburg, L. Barfield, R-Horry, E. Bedingfield, R-Greenville, E. Bikas, R-Pickens, D. Bowen, R-Anderson, W. Bowers, D-Hampton, R. Brown, D-Charleston, W. Chumley, R-Spartanburg, A. Clemmons, R-Horry, T. Corbin, R-Greenville, K. Crawford, R-Florence, W. Crosby, R-Charleston, F. Delleney, R-Chester, C. Dillard, D-Greenville, T. Edge, R-Horry, S. Erickson, R-Beaufort, L. Funderburk, D-Kershaw, W. Gilliard, D-Charleston, J. Govan, D-Orangeburg, D. Hamilton, R-Greenville, N. Hardwick, R-Horry, G. Hearn, R-Horry, P. Henderson, R-Greenville, D. Hiott, R-Pickens, W. Hixon, R-Aiken, J. Horne, R-Dorchester, L. Hosey, D-Barnwell, L. Howard, D-Richland, J. Jefferson, D-Berkeley, K. Johnson, D-Clarendon, J. King, D-York, H. Limehouse, R-Charleston, D. Long, R-Lancaster, P. Lowe, R-Florence, J. Lucas, R-Darlington, P. McCoy, R-Charleston, J. McEachern, D-Richland, D. Moss, R-Cherokee, E. Munnerlyn, D-Marlboro, C. Murphy, R-Dorchester, W. Nanney, R-Greenville, J. Neal, D-Lancaster, R. Norman, R-York, P. Owens, R-Pickens, S. Parker, R-Spartanburg, J. Parks, D-Greenwood, L. Pinson, R-Greenwood, M. Pitts, R-Laurens, T. Pope, R-York, K. Ryan, R-Georgetown, W. Sandifer, R-Oconee, J. Simrill, R-York, G. Smith, R-Sumter, G. Smith, R-Greenville, J. Smith, R-Aiken, B. Taylor, R-Aiken, A. Thayer, R-Anderson, D. Tribble, R-Laurens, T. Vick, D-Chesterfield, T. Viers, R-Horry, J. Weeks, D-Sumter, J. Whipper, D-Charleston, W. White, R-Anderson, W. Whitmire, R-Oconee, R. Williams, D-Darlington, M. Willis, R-Greenville, T. Young, R-Aiken

NOT VOTING

J. Bales, D-Richland, G. Brown, D-Lee, W. Herbkersman, R-Beaufort, K. Hodges, D-Colleton, J. Merrill, R-Berkeley, C. Umphlett, R-Berkeley