It's amusing to watch the governors -- led by our own Gov. Mike Leavitt -- scrambling to see who can tax the Internet first.
The cries of unfairness by these politicians and retail giants like Wal-Mart reek of hypocrisy. They say it's not fair for brick-and-mortar businesses who must charge sales tax to compete with online businesses. Since when did politicians and mega-corporations care about playing fair?The advantage (thanks in large part to politicians) has always gone to the big corporations at the expense of the small mom-and-pop businesses. Large corporations have always gotten the tax breaks that government makes up for by taxing the employees of the corporation and the consumers who patronize the business. They have always had the buying-power advantage and resources to market themselves.
Where were the cries for fairness from our governor when light rail was unfairly destroying these small downtown businesses? Where is the scrambling by these politicians to ensure that the same tax advantages provided for large corporations are afforded the small businesses? And why is there not consideration for the fact that these online businesses must charge for shipping and handling that in many cases ends up being six of one and half a dozen of the other?
For the first time in recent memory, the Internet has given individual small businesses a fighting chance to compete and put within their reach the rewards typically reserved for those with the megabucks. To those whining megabuck corporations, how about a little of your own rhetoric? What is stopping you from competing? Open your own online business.
And to the governor, I thought that you were a conservative. I thought that you believed in freedom and in a small and unintrusive government.
Dan L. Schmeidler
Sandy