Everything is fine on the farm with my animals these days. No crises, no major issues, just normal. With no major concerns, I spent today writing a few devotionals and also studying some of the issues in politics. With Obama throwing the "kitchen sink" at us in terms of new radical plans, it is hard to focus on any one issue, but I found one today. It was one that I really haven't paid much attention to, but it is one that is gaining steam from the money hungry Washington crowd (not to exclude the state folks as well).
What got my attention was an article on Red State about Mike Enzi, Senator from Wyoming, pushing for a nationwide internet sales tax, one that would require payment of taxes to the state where the buyer resides. And on first look, I can understand how some can use the old tired explanation: "It's just about fairness; since brick and mortar businesses have to pay sales tax why shouldn't on line businesses be just as liable?"
And besides, some of the big retail firms that make big money off of internet sales also support it, so why not?
The answer: small, entrepreneurial start ups, those with the ingenuity to run a business out of their home and without fancy offices will be killed. And with their ending, prices will go up.
Think about it. In today's marketplace, a small guy doesn't have much chance to make it. Start up cost, lawyers, overhead, guaranteed payments up front for goods, etc., etc., almost makes it impossible to compete. And the little guys with overhead and office space? Well, unfortunately, with Obama and the upcoming Obamacare, most of them are in trouble today anyway.
But there is one issue involved here that makes this critical. Can you imagine running a business without overhead from the internet and being held accountable for determining state sales taxes for all 50 states and then complying. Not only would this be extremely time consuming and costly, I don't think it can be done with a low enough error rate to avoid major legal and tax problems.
And it really upsets me to think that a Senator from a rural state like Wyoming, where freedom and individuality are so highly prized, would even "hook up" with such an idea. I wonder which "fat cat" corporate supporter is applying the pressure on him? For that's always the case, you know. Congressmen spend more time raising money for their next campaign, or accepting perks with consequences, than they ever spend on doing the country's business.
It's kind of like McCain and many others and their constant support for more war and military intervention. After all, didn't Dwight Eisenhower warn us in the 1950's to beware of the Military-Industrial complex? He was a General and then a politician; he knew how things were being done and they are only getting worse today.
So now we have the M-I complex growing riches while our young people are maimed and die and our creative internet small business people facing financial sacrifice as well.
Time for us all to wake up. We deserve better from our politicians. They are well rewarded for their short work weeks. Call them on it.
What got my attention was an article on Red State about Mike Enzi, Senator from Wyoming, pushing for a nationwide internet sales tax, one that would require payment of taxes to the state where the buyer resides. And on first look, I can understand how some can use the old tired explanation: "It's just about fairness; since brick and mortar businesses have to pay sales tax why shouldn't on line businesses be just as liable?"
And besides, some of the big retail firms that make big money off of internet sales also support it, so why not?
The answer: small, entrepreneurial start ups, those with the ingenuity to run a business out of their home and without fancy offices will be killed. And with their ending, prices will go up.
Think about it. In today's marketplace, a small guy doesn't have much chance to make it. Start up cost, lawyers, overhead, guaranteed payments up front for goods, etc., etc., almost makes it impossible to compete. And the little guys with overhead and office space? Well, unfortunately, with Obama and the upcoming Obamacare, most of them are in trouble today anyway.
But there is one issue involved here that makes this critical. Can you imagine running a business without overhead from the internet and being held accountable for determining state sales taxes for all 50 states and then complying. Not only would this be extremely time consuming and costly, I don't think it can be done with a low enough error rate to avoid major legal and tax problems.
And it really upsets me to think that a Senator from a rural state like Wyoming, where freedom and individuality are so highly prized, would even "hook up" with such an idea. I wonder which "fat cat" corporate supporter is applying the pressure on him? For that's always the case, you know. Congressmen spend more time raising money for their next campaign, or accepting perks with consequences, than they ever spend on doing the country's business.
It's kind of like McCain and many others and their constant support for more war and military intervention. After all, didn't Dwight Eisenhower warn us in the 1950's to beware of the Military-Industrial complex? He was a General and then a politician; he knew how things were being done and they are only getting worse today.
So now we have the M-I complex growing riches while our young people are maimed and die and our creative internet small business people facing financial sacrifice as well.
Time for us all to wake up. We deserve better from our politicians. They are well rewarded for their short work weeks. Call them on it.
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