Newswise — Tom Horan, a nationally recognized thought leader who is Senecal Endowed Dean of the School of Business at the University of Redlands, says the global commerce giant Amazon lacks commitment to heightened Inland Empire prosperity.
"A recent episode of Frontline (PBS) documented Amazon's commendable rise in global commerce and investigated how Amazon founder/CEO Jeff Bezos built one of 'the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world,'” says Horan. “While one might admire and appreciate Bezos' success, which, for example, has enabled him to make a commitment to global climate change, one could also ask Bezos to consider a commitment to the Inland Empire, which is severely lacking in opportunities for economic prosperity.
"Amazon has placed a significant number of fulfillment centers in the Inland Empire, as the documentary noted. But the majority of these 84,000 jobs are low-wage jobs, which limits opportunities for economic prosperity in our region. Bezos should come to the Inland Empire to meet employees, hear about concerns, and consider making a regional investment in technology and management training and careers here, as well as devote some of the recently pledged $10 billion Climate Change funds to offset the environmental and land use impacts of these fulfillment centers.
"Ideally, Amazon will prioritize investing in opportunities and communities where the majority of their employees deliver Amazon products and services, not just in political and financial centers such as Washington, D.C., and New York City. As of now, the Inland Empire does not appear to be a ‘prime’ member in terms of these types of opportunities or sustainable practices that would fortify prosperity and quality of life in our region.”
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