On a day when Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is in the news for announcing plans to give away most of his fortune, comes more sobering news from the company he founded: Amazon plans to cut some 10,000 jobs, starting immediately.

Bezos, worth an estimated $124 billion, is entitled to do what he pleases with his money. The world’s fourth-richest person told CNN on Monday that he would donate most of his money to charity in his lifetime, following the philanthropy path of other wealthy notables like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

But that’s of little consolation to the 10,000 or so who will be without jobs at the outset of the holiday season. The New York Times reports that cuts will focus on Amazon’s devices organization, including the voice-assistant Alexa, as well as at its retail division and in human resources. If that’s the case, then hopefully jobs at the newly-built Amazon warehouse in the Town of Montgomery will be spared.

Amazon is not the only tech company to be cutting jobs. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced it was laying off 11,000 employees, about 13 percent of its work force. Lyft, Stripe, Snap and other tech firms have made large cuts, while Twitter has reportedly cut half its workforce since Elon Musk took over the company a few short weeks ago.

The pandemic brought Amazon to new heights, as housebound consumers stayed home and ordered on-line, urged on by the promise of fast delivery. But earlier this year, the Times reports, Amazon’s growth slowed to the lowest rate in two decades, as shopping habits have apparently changed once again.

News of Amazon’s troubles may rekindle the debate that erupted several years ago when the company received tax breaks from the Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency as a condition for building its warehouse here. It reminds us that, just as companies gamble with their investors’ dollars, state and local governments will gamble taxpayers’ money in pursuit of big business.