CEI Today: Internet sales tax, Iron Man vs Musicians Union, and lessons from austerity

INTERNET SALES TAX - MICHAEL GREVE

Forbes: The Internet Sales Tax Reveals Its Foolish Head Yet Again

They’re at it again: On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted 74-20 to proceed with debate on the “Marketplace Fairness Act.”

But, so long as we live with state and local tax autonomy, neutrality is impossible. Any move in that direction—by means of destination taxation—will entail huge compliance costs.  > Read the full commentary

> Interview an expert

IRON MAN & THE UNION - MATT PATTERSON Workplacechoice.org: Iron Man vs. The Musicians Union Can the Iron Avenger triumph over a new nemesis stalking his box office prospects? The American Federation of Musicians (AFM), it appears, is unhappy with Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney for using–gasp!–non-American musical talent to score their blockbuster hits Iron Man 3, and last year’s The Avengers. >Read more > Interview Matt Patterson

AUSTERITY - MATTHEW MELCHIORRE Investor's Business Daily: U.S. Should Copy Estonia, Which Made Austerity Work Another month of disappointing job numbers is a painful reminder that the U.S. economy is struggling after almost five years of fiscal and monetary stimulus. For a better way forward, let's look at Estonia, which took its medicine as soon as the global financial crisis broke. It cut government spending relatie to its pre-crisis level drastically — 2.8% in 2009 and 9.5% in 2010 — and is now one of Europe's fastest growing economies.  > Read more > Interview Matthew Melchiorre

April 25, 2013: Regulations Are Less Than Transparent Every year, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) releases a report on the costs and benefits of the previous year’s new regulations. This year’s report was just released. Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews points out that the report ignores three quarters of all agencies and includes the costs of fewer than one half of one percent of last year’s regulations. > Listen to the podcast

More in the news... Will EU “Cultural Diversity” Exception Undermine U.S.-EU Trade Talks? Why BPA (And Other Chemicals) Don’t Belong On Proposition 65 Obama’s Controversial Nominee for Labor Secretary To Be Voted On Shielding EPA's McCarthy from scrutiny is what's 'totally bogus' Lawsuits Over “Customary International Law”: A Menace To Free Speech, Our Liberties, Our Companies, And Our Economy Why Is Congress Lethargic about Energy?

CEI ANNUAL DINNER & GALA FEATURING THE HONORABLE RAND PAUL JUNE 20, 2013 cei.org/ceidinner

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.

Josiah Bartlett Center - The Internet Sales Tax and Earth Day

Weekly Update from the
Josiah Bartlett Center

Keeping you up to date on our latest research
on the issues impacting New Hampshire

New Internet Sales Tax Threatens New Hampshire

Other states have always been annoyed by states like New Hampshire without a sales tax. Tax competition is distressing to the uncompetitive. But few tax grabs are as ill considered, unfair, and anti-competitive as the federal government’s attempt to impose a massive new internet sales tax. New Hampshire in particular needs to be careful. The new tax will lead to the elimination of the sales tax competitive advantage that is the foundation of our retail economy

Under the American tax system, states may apply taxes to entities with a physical presence (or “nexus”) in the state. It would of course be ridiculous to expect an orange grower in Florida to apply your state’s sales tax on fruit you buy on vacation or to exempt you if you came from a state with no sales tax. So, in general, one state’s tax collector has no authority to reach across state lines and regulate you from beyond the borders.... Click here to keep reading.

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NHOpenGov

Now nearly 3.5 Million State Transactions

Ever wonder how and where New Hampshire spends your tax dollars? Look no further than NHOpenGov.org, an open government project of the Center. We now have more than 3.5 Million transactions detailing how every last dollar was spent from the past 4 1/2 years. Help us find government waste! Click here to start looking.

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Earth Day

Markets Clean the Enviroment

It’s Earth Day, the environmental movement’s annual celebration of top-down environmental restrictions and reduced standards of living in the name of sustainability. A rather newer annual tradition is my post reminding you that free markets are a better, cheaper, faster way to clean up the environment, reduce future pollution, and protect endangered species than command and control methods... Click here to keep reading.

CEI Weekly: What's Wrong With Internet Sales Taxes?

April 26, 2013

Feature: The Senate considered the "Marketplace Fairness Act" this week. (Image: internetretailer.com)

FEATURE: What's Wrong With Internet Sales Taxes? This week, the Senate considered the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bill that would allow states to collect sales taxes from out of state retailers. Brick-and-mortar retailers think the bill would 'level the playing field' with Internet companies. But Michael Greve, chairman of CEI's board and a professor at George Mason Law, argues that the tax regime imposed by the bill would unfairly burden consumers and retailers. Read his Forbes op-ed here. SHAPING THE DEBATE E-Verify Mandate Is Costly For American Businesses and Workers David Bier's CEI Web Memo Unions Do Their Business on Unions' Dime Trey Kovacs' op-ed in The Baltimore Sun Shielding EPA's McCarthy From Scrutiny Is What's 'Totally Bogus' Brian McNicoll's op-ed in The Washington Examiner    Explaining Energy Gridlock Marlo Lewis' op-ed in National Journal Boxer's Claims on Behalf of EPA Nominee Don't Hold Water Brian McNicoll's op-ed in The Daily Caller Conservative Groups Weigh in on FCC Chairman Pick CEI's citation in The Washington Post

CEI PODCAST April 25, 2013: Regulations Are Less Than Transparent Every year, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) releases a report on the costs and benefits of the previous year’s new regulations. This year’s report was just released. Vice President for Policy Wayne Crewspoints out that the report ignores three quarters of all agencies and includes the costs of fewer than one half of one percent of last year’s regulations. Even so, the reported costs are double the previous year’s. BEST OF THE BLOGS Will EU's 'Cultural Diversity' Exception Undermine U.S.-E.U. Trade Talks? By Fran Smith Why BPA (and Other Chemicals) Don't Belong on Proposition 65 By Angela Logomasini Why FAA's Child Seat Campaign Is Deadly By Adam Sandberg Why Is Congress Lethargic About Energy? By Marlo Lewis

NHGOP - SHAHEEN MISSES VOTE ON DISASTROUS SALES TAX BILL

Jeanne MIA On Vote Protecting NH From Online Sales Tax

 

Concord – New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Jennifer Horn released the following statement today on Senator Shaheen missing an important vote yesterday on the federal sales tax bill (Roll Call Here).

“It is unacceptable for Senator Shaheen to miss a vote on legislation that will hurt consumers and burden businesses with onerous new regulations. Shaheen’s failure to stand up for New Hampshire by voting “no” on this motion is an insult to her constituents and a dereliction of her duties as an elected federal official. Granite Staters deserve a full and complete explanation from their senior senator about why she was unable to represent their interests on this important issue."

“Senator Shaheen has failed to actively oppose her party’s attempt to ram this devastating legislation through the Senate. For months, Shaheen has sat on her hands and refused to join Senator Ayotte in her fight to protect small businesses. Yesterday’s missed vote serves as another reminder that Jeanne Shaheen has been an unaccomplished and ineffective senator who has failed to provide any leadership for New Hampshire in Washington."

CEI Today: Earth Day, Internet tax bill, and Gang of 8 immigration bill

EARTH DAY

Humans Make Earth Day Better

> View the YouTube video

> Interview an expert

INTERNET TAXES - JESSICA MELUGIN Facts on the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 743, formerly S. 336) The Senate is poised to vote on a bill - perhaps as early as today - that would give states power to collect sales taxes on Internet sales. CEI's Jessica Melugin explains why the Marketplace Fairness Act is anything but. The bill would undermine state sovereignty, threaten privacy, decimate healthy tax competition, and gut due process.  > Read more > Interview Jessica Melugin

IMMIGRATION "GANG OF 8" PROPOSAL Openmarket.org: Four Of The Worst Arguments Against The Immigration Bill Since the Gang of 8 released their proposal, the desperation from those who want to see this bill die — and any hope of immigration reform die with it — can be heard throughout DC. Its opponents are spreading everything from the inaccurate to the absurd about the bill and its probable consequences. > Read more > Interview David Bier

More in the news... Reps. Upton and Waxman Issue 2nd White Paper on Renewable Fuel Standard Bill Would Prevent CDC’s Taxpayer-Funded Anti-Food Propaganda More On Supreme Court Ruling Limiting International Lawsuits Amtrak And The Progressive Sleight Of Hand CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation

CEI ANNUAL DINNER & GALA FEATURING THE HONORABLE RAND PAUL JUNE 20, 2013 cei.org/ceidinner

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.