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I support this, actually. I think we're long past the point where online retailers need help competing with local ones -- rather the contrary, particularly in

I support this, actually. I think we're long past the point where online retailers need help competing with local ones -- rather the contrary, particularly in the bookselling business. (I won't miss Borders, but losing independent local bookstores is unfortunate, I think.) I agree, though, that something has to be done to make the information load tractable, such as a single tax rate for the whole state, or else an easily accessible online database.

1337p337 16y ago
No, it's a great plan. What California really needs is more taxes. (Please forget that Gov. Davis was recalled just a few years ago for raising vehicle registration taxes.) Not just that, but web retailers have it easy, and encoding ever-shifting tax laws for various localities from which orders might be placed is not onerous at all. (Remember, kids, some states apply sales tax to juice, and some only apply it if sugar is added!) This totally won't harm business, and is easy to implement. [To non-residents of our state: California's legislature is pretty disfuntional, and frequently gridlocked over even simple issues. For example, our budget is often months late, tax returns came back as IOUs one year, and the huge chunk of funding appropriated to build prisons due to severe overcrowding that has had us in trouble with the federal government for years hasn't resulted in one new prison. So don't worry too much over every idea that floats through our Assembly. We're a somewhat pathological case.]
- iwwr 16y ago
  If at least local or state governments were barred from loading on debt, these matters would not arise at all. When today's politicians can mortgage the future to pay for present perks, they will surely do it. If each increase in expenses were immediately covered by an increase in taxes, it would make the public much more aware of the costs of political promises.

1337p337 16y ago

No, it's a great plan. What California really needs is more taxes. (Please forget that Gov. Davis was recalled just a few years ago for raising vehicle registration taxes.) Not just that, but web retailers have it easy, and encoding ever-shifting tax laws for various localities from which orders might be placed is not onerous at all. (Remember, kids, some states apply sales tax to juice, and some only apply it if sugar is added!) This totally won't harm business, and is easy to implement. [To non-residents of our state: California's legislature is pretty disfuntional, and frequently gridlocked over even simple issues. For example, our budget is often months late, tax returns came back as IOUs one year, and the huge chunk of funding appropriated to build prisons due to severe overcrowding that has had us in trouble with the federal government for years hasn't resulted in one new prison. So don't worry too much over every idea that floats through our Assembly. We're a somewhat pathological case.]

iwwr 16y ago
If at least local or state governments were barred from loading on debt, these matters would not arise at all. When today's politicians can mortgage the future to pay for present perks, they will surely do it. If each increase in expenses were immediately covered by an increase in taxes, it would make the public much more aware of the costs of political promises.