5 ms·

Why not just tax all computers sales for $20? It would be much more cost effective than developing a really terrible piece of easily hackable filtering software

Why not just tax all computers sales for $20? It would be much more cost effective than developing a really terrible piece of easily hackable filtering software that would have to be deployed on every OS in the world to comply with the law, not to mention the costly workflow of collecting the tax. (Ignoring the obviously strange "pay for speech" game happening here that is just ODD) This seems like a really complicated, silly approach to solve a very simple problem - funding the Attorney General's Task Force. Kickstarter would be a more effective governance strategy here. Hopefully lawmakers AND the citizens of South Carolina can see how terrible this would be for their state. I have no doubt North Carolina PC stores are excited, though. In general, I'm upset to see these micro-targeted pieces of legislation that also contribute a great deal to erosion of constitutional protections without an afterthought.

tssva 10y ago
This law will actually cost the Attorney General's office as they spend money to defend a law which will inevitably be found unconstitutional.
- hollander 10y ago
  This law is good PR, or it's a decoy.
- st3v3r 10y ago
  I know in California, the AG office can apparently elect not to defend a law (they did it with the Prop 8 gay marriage ban). Is that something unique to California, or can other states do it?
dqv 10y ago
>I have no doubt North Carolina PC stores are excited, though. Can you clarify what this means?
- farmdawgnation 10y ago
  I suspect that the author is suggesting that consumers who don't wish to be subject to the filter or the tax would just drive over the border to North Carolina to purchase a computer.
- monatron 10y ago
  The implication is that people will travel to North Carolina from South Carolina to buy their computers instead of having to buy the "filtered" ones in their home state.
  - sailfast 10y ago
    Yes, this sums it up. State-based taxes and fees on goods are pretty easily circumventable when you buy in another state, or, you know, on a website.
  - logfromblammo 10y ago
    To be fair, they might also go to Georgia.
  - cjslep 10y ago
    But this also conveniently ignores the fact that the same brand of blue-fearing SC republican also dominates the NC state legislature [0]. I can imagine NC easily passing a similar law in an after hours closed door special session. So the more rational GA, TN, and VA states should be excited. [0] See all behavior since McCrory was ousted from being Governor and the State Supreme Court flipping pro-Dem.
    - Spooky23 10y ago
      South Carolina is a weird place. I always thought that it was like a southern version of Pennsylvania or New Hampshire -- the regional "vice" state. They have fireworks, strippers, cheaper gas etc.
      - throwaway729 10y ago
        A vice state? This Pennsylvania? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_Pennsylvania https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_Pennsylvania
    - vorotato 10y ago
      We actually have software companies here, so no that's actually not as likely. It's the exact reason this happened in south carolina and not say georgia.
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- mattnewton 10y ago
  North Carolina borders South Carolina, where the proposed ban is. GP is pointing out that South Carolinians will be incentivized to buy computers out of state, driving up sales there.
- dcherman 10y ago
  Probably that if it passes, people will buy computers across state lines and transport them back. A bounty for NC electronics stores.
ikeboy 10y ago
$20 is not enough to get people to go to another state on a $500 purchase. Sales tax is more than that, and there aren't a lot of people buying stuff in other states to avoid that.
- slashcom 10y ago
  Probably not for a lot of the state, but the Charlotte metro area contains a significant number of people who live across the border in Rock Hill for property tax reasons. These people make that commute almost daily. (It's actually enough that the Charlotte Transit Authority has a bus that runs to Rock Hill).
slashcom 10y ago
Interestingly, the difference in SC sales tax (6%) and NC sales tax (4.75%, but county/city taxes make it ~6.75%), effectively come out to nearly $20 on a $2000 laptop.
noxToken 10y ago
Hey man, it's all for the protection of kids and to prevent human trafficking! I mean, it's in the name: Human Trafficking Prevention Act. It doesn't matter that we're stepping on the toes of other citizens and their right to browse the Internet freely. It's for the sake of protecting the helpless and, most of all, the children! Note: For the sake of Poe's Law, this post is scathing sarcasm.
module0000 10y ago
> Why not just tax all computers sales for $20? Because SC didn't invent computers, the internet, or anything related to this. This isn't their territory, and they should quickly and apologetically "back off". When in doubt, follow the money. $20 per device to a "task force" that you may or may not believe in is theft, a shakedown, or whatever variant someone may refer to it as. The effect: "You want a computer? Pay for it, and give me $20: you have no choice."
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tssva 10y ago

This law will actually cost the Attorney General's office as they spend money to defend a law which will inevitably be found unconstitutional.

hollander 10y ago
This law is good PR, or it's a decoy.
st3v3r 10y ago
I know in California, the AG office can apparently elect not to defend a law (they did it with the Prop 8 gay marriage ban). Is that something unique to California, or can other states do it?

dqv 10y ago

>I have no doubt North Carolina PC stores are excited, though. Can you clarify what this means?

farmdawgnation 10y ago
I suspect that the author is suggesting that consumers who don't wish to be subject to the filter or the tax would just drive over the border to North Carolina to purchase a computer.
monatron 10y ago
The implication is that people will travel to North Carolina from South Carolina to buy their computers instead of having to buy the "filtered" ones in their home state.
- sailfast 10y ago
  Yes, this sums it up. State-based taxes and fees on goods are pretty easily circumventable when you buy in another state, or, you know, on a website.
- logfromblammo 10y ago
  To be fair, they might also go to Georgia.
- cjslep 10y ago
  But this also conveniently ignores the fact that the same brand of blue-fearing SC republican also dominates the NC state legislature [0]. I can imagine NC easily passing a similar law in an after hours closed door special session. So the more rational GA, TN, and VA states should be excited. [0] See all behavior since McCrory was ousted from being Governor and the State Supreme Court flipping pro-Dem.
  - Spooky23 10y ago
    South Carolina is a weird place. I always thought that it was like a southern version of Pennsylvania or New Hampshire -- the regional "vice" state. They have fireworks, strippers, cheaper gas etc.
    - throwaway729 10y ago
      A vice state? This Pennsylvania? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_Pennsylvania https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_Pennsylvania
  - vorotato 10y ago
    We actually have software companies here, so no that's actually not as likely. It's the exact reason this happened in south carolina and not say georgia.
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mattnewton 10y ago
North Carolina borders South Carolina, where the proposed ban is. GP is pointing out that South Carolinians will be incentivized to buy computers out of state, driving up sales there.
dcherman 10y ago
Probably that if it passes, people will buy computers across state lines and transport them back. A bounty for NC electronics stores.

ikeboy 10y ago

$20 is not enough to get people to go to another state on a $500 purchase. Sales tax is more than that, and there aren't a lot of people buying stuff in other states to avoid that.

slashcom 10y ago
Probably not for a lot of the state, but the Charlotte metro area contains a significant number of people who live across the border in Rock Hill for property tax reasons. These people make that commute almost daily. (It's actually enough that the Charlotte Transit Authority has a bus that runs to Rock Hill).

slashcom 10y ago

Interestingly, the difference in SC sales tax (6%) and NC sales tax (4.75%, but county/city taxes make it ~6.75%), effectively come out to nearly $20 on a $2000 laptop.

noxToken 10y ago

Hey man, it's all for the protection of kids and to prevent human trafficking! I mean, it's in the name: Human Trafficking Prevention Act. It doesn't matter that we're stepping on the toes of other citizens and their right to browse the Internet freely. It's for the sake of protecting the helpless and, most of all, the children! Note: For the sake of Poe's Law, this post is scathing sarcasm.

module0000 10y ago

> Why not just tax all computers sales for $20? Because SC didn't invent computers, the internet, or anything related to this. This isn't their territory, and they should quickly and apologetically "back off". When in doubt, follow the money. $20 per device to a "task force" that you may or may not believe in is theft, a shakedown, or whatever variant someone may refer to it as. The effect: "You want a computer? Pay for it, and give me $20: you have no choice."

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