[MattMcWilliams]

Found this article today: http://www.news-record.com/blog/53964/entry/63151


Hackney did not seem terribly torn up by the company’s move: “Amazon has a history of acting that way. I think they did that in New York and then they backed off and reversed themselves so I’m not sure we should take that too seriously. I have my own way of dealing with it, which is I just won’t deal with Amazon.”

[TheNakedMan]

that shows how unwilling to listen to the people they are.

[markwelch]

Remember that they are being lobbied by the booksellers and others, who are telling legislators that anyone opposing the bill is an "Amazon apologist." The booksellers' lobbyists are also pushing the idea that Amazon won't really terminate its affiliates, but will "roll over" or "surrender" and collect the tax as it did in New York.

It definitely seems "too late" for North Carolina, but if there is any hope at all of reversing this dreadful mistake, Legislators need to know:

(1) Amazon isn't bluffing; it has already terminated North Carolina, Hawaii, and Rhode Island web publishers, and won't restore the relationship while the "Amazon Tax" is present.

(2) Dozens of other merchants have already terminated their advertising relationships with North Carolina web publishers, and hundreds more will follow.

(3) None of these merchants are going to collect sales tax for North Carolina. There's no new revenue here.

(4) Many hundreds of small business owners in North Carolina are losing advertising revenue -- and as a result, they'll pay less income tax this year. That's a LOSS of revenue.

(5) Several of the most successful North Carolina web publishers will actually move out of North Carolina in order to retain their relationships with these merchants, and they won't pay ANY North Carolina income taxes, ever again.

(6) It doesn't seem to matter, but the law is unconstitutional, playing "jargon games" to try to re-designate advertising contracts as "physical presence," thus pretending to comply with relevant U.S. Supreme Court precedent (but the fiction is transparent).

[Alan Hamilton]

Matt highlighted:

"Hackney did not seem terribly torn up by the company’s move: “Amazon has a history of acting that way. I think they did that in New York and then they backed off and reversed themselves so I’m not sure we should take that too seriously. I have my own way of dealing with it, which is I just won’t deal with Amazon.”

Speaks volumes about where Hackney's thinking is. There is always 2010 Matty!!!

[MattMcWilliams]

Hackney is a moron, plain and simple. :mad:

I won't get overly worked up, but I just cannot imagine how stupid he is being.

NC is getting what it asked for when it elected these idiots. It's just sad to me.

:errr:

[Alan Hamilton]

It's sad all the way around Matt. Taxation madness is rampant recently. It is sooooo nice to see that opposition to the taxation mentality is growing on many levels. This internet tax issue is a small part of a grand scheme and so it is very gratifying to see that people are beginning to open their eyes and re-look the reality.

Have a happy 4th of July Everyone. This July 4th, take some time to Really THINK about and appreciate how fortunate we have been to live in a country where our personal, family and business freedoms and choices have been protected for the past 220 years. As someone said in another post here, "don't let your guard down." :usaflag:

[Rich Owings]

How about Rep. Pryor Gibson...

""They (Amazon's associates) need to pay their taxes like everybody else"

http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/retail/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218101852

Grrr!

[crlharris]

I'm pretty sure this is a misquote. The email response I got from Gibson last week made it clear that he understood the issue.

Notice that the quote isn't:

"Amazon Associates need to pay taxes like everyone else."

Instead, what he said was:

"they need to pay taxes like everyone else."

Looks like the parenthetical was inserted by the reporter. Remember, reporters may not understand the issue either.

[Alan Hamilton]

What he said or didn't say is irrelevant. His vote to approve the tax on internet sales says it all without a reporters comment.