No Internet Taxes Ever!!

In 1982 I filled my heart's desire by opening my very own bookstore. I bought a cute little building on Main Street and filled it with the top ten best sellers in all categories (except porn). Everything went pretty well and I paid my sales taxes to Sacramento every 3 months. These were taxes that I added to my retail sales and not to other book dealers (wholesale sales). So what did these taxes pay for? Let me see, we had some bad flooding that first year and the entire area had to be drained, with the mud taken away. We had a series of fires on the hill above the store and our fire department was quick to bring in everything that was needed to save the community. We had far too many accidents on Main Street and I was pleased to see how quickly our paramedics arrived and put everything back in place and saved many lives. This was a tourist beach town and too many people left their brains back home. Highway One fell into the Pacific Ocean and we became a deserted village for nearly 2 years. The Highway workers worked around the clock to put the highway back. When I think of the cost of all these services I decided that these taxes were certainly necessary.

The property taxes on the building itself were far too high for the amount of business a bookstore could bring in and I found myself having to use my savings hoping that business would improve enough to at least break even. The taxes paid to the water company were higher than any place I had ever lived. But, one can't live without water. The telephone tax, the electric bill tax, the added tax for the street parking and street lighting was added onto all of the rest of the taxes. I was required by County law to put in fire sprinklers in the building. I nodded to the inspector and forgot about it. Water can do much more damage to books than fire. All in all it got too expensive for me to continue being a bookseller, but the final straw was when Walden Books opened 20 miles south of me and were able to discount their merchandise. I simply packed up and rented the building to someone else. What I'm getting at is why would anyone want to tax the merchandise on the Internet.

I'm not talking about companies like Penney's who have a store over the hill from me, or any of the other stores who find it is cheaper to go on line than open an expensive store all over the area. Nordstrom's for example has several stores in my state, but none in my area, so I shop on line. I don't mind paying a sales tax on either store whether I go in in person or enter on-line is my choice.

I have taken to shopping on line for more reasons than just paying the taxes on the stuff I buy. I am uncomfortable going into our local retail shops anywhere near a college town. The merchandise is often not displayed well, sizes not separated, many items are dirty from being tried on without assistance. I don't like to shop in a store where the sales help has no clue what is in stock. Half the time they can't take the time to spit out their gum and make eye contact and actually ask if they can be of help. I would have to say that 75% of the stores in my county play loud rock and roll music where they couldn't hear a customer's question even if they could manage an answer. When I shop downtown I have to pay for parking. If there are meters, there isn't enough time to shop, have lunch and sit by the creek for a while. I found out that it is illegal to add change to a meter where you parked. You have to vacate the parking place and search for another.

The merchants on line are paying none of these extra costs of doing business as our own local businesses do and I will never understand why the politicians figure the taxes are necessary where there are no added costs.

We must not let the government do this to our internet merchants. It is not fair...

Published in the February 26, 2000 issue of Ether Zone. Copyright © 2000 Ether Zone Online. Reposting permitted with this message intact.