You don't give five downs to one team in a football game and three downs to the other. If you do, it's simply not fair. Things like uniform tax rates, statewide revenue centers and exemptions for very small businesses will greatly reduce sales tax collection burdens. Federal legislation is needed to accomplish this, and that's where Congress could play a constructive and essential role. Steamrolling over states, cities and local businesses with predatory special interest legislation for Internet commerce is just the opposite - an ugly example of destructive and intrusive federal intervention.
Taxes are a necessary part of life in our modern society.
They are the money we pay to have safe neighborhoods, good schools, well-paved roads, attractive parks and recreation facilities, good libraries, clean water, and an overall quality of life that sustains a healthy local economy with good jobs and a promising future. Our tax structure should work the same for everyone in the community, or else there will be a heavier burden for some to offset the exemptions given to others. And our local merchants should not have their livelihood imperiled by an arbitrary tax preference for electronic commerce. If our national policy leaders want to assure a healthy economic climate for all businesses to compete on a level field, they should take the approach being advocated by NLC and its working group to assure an efficient, fair and equitable tax structure for all the buyers and sellers doing business in our community.