JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When Army vet, Michael Malone, left the service in November, he had no idea how long it would take him to find a job.
"I went two months without getting a single call back and I was putting out probably 30 resumes a day,” Malone said.
After making a full time job out of looking for jobs, he finally got a bite last month. Malone is now training to be a loan adviser.
But, several of his buddies are still desperate and see a glimmer of hope in the possibility of internet-giant Amazon.com bringing thousands of jobs to the state by building two distribution centers in Florida.
"Absolutely it's a good idea,” he said.
But, there’s a catch. According to the Associated Press, Amazon.com told top state officials they’ll only come here if the state agrees to exempt them from collecting sales taxes for the next two years.
"We just really don't think that a few thousand jobs compared with the tens of thousands of jobs that we create every year here in Florida is enough of a bribe,” said John Fleming, communications director for the Florida Retail Federation.
So, they’re supporting the passing of SB 7206, which would force online retailers to charge the state’s six-percent sales tax if the company has a physical presence here or provides commissions to Florida residents who direct customers to their website.
However, the passage of this bill would likely stop Amazon.com from moving in, which is not what Malone wants to hear.
"I can see their point, but at the same time to get more jobs operating here in Jacksonville I think is still a good idea,” he said.
Amazon has reached similar deals with other states, including South Carolina.
Action News reached out to Amazon.com Thursday morning for comment, but have yet to receive a response.
