Tag: Bought and Paid For

What better way to insure higher prices, less competition, and bigger bureaucracies than to pass the so-called "MainStreet Fairness Act"?

A letter being sent today to the Michigan Congressional Delegation makes the following claims:

• "The signatories consist of a wide spectrum of constituencies, including small business owners, members of state retailers associations and chambers of commerce, local elected officials, and consumers, all who want to see this commonsense highly oppressive solution signed into law."
  
• "This is a critical issue for small businesses. They not only struggle to match the tax-freeShipping and logistics added prices their customers can find online, but also frequently find themselves in the frustrating position of having their stores used as showrooms by online shoppers.  Their time and resources are being used up to make sales for their out-of-state competitors."
  
• "Opponents of the Marketplace Fairness Act have tried to argue that it imposes a new tax on consumers.  But that is simply not true.  The Marketplace Fairness Act will impose no new tax or tax increase of any kind, but merely create a method that states and communities can use to collect taxes they are already owed. An incredible bureaucratic nightmare for low volume sellers who are struggling to deal with increasing regulatory conditions already.  For over two decades, the Internet sales tax loophole has prevented these taxing entities from receiving the legitimate revenue they need to fund essential public services for our residents leaving a revenue hole that taxpayers have had to fill."

It is an increase in the cost of business.  An increase in the complication of business. An Increase in the growth of government.  An increase in prices as the big box stores and larger internet retailers regain their advantage over the mom and pop enterprises.

Its cronyism.  Pure and simple.  BIG MONEY pushing the little guy out, and using the hammer of government to do it because that 'little guy' keeps competition in place.

I have said before, that there IS a way to solve this, and for the states who collect sales tax to get their revenues, but this cluster foxtrot is not a good path.  Any congressman worth his or her salt would recognize a disaster in the making for what it is.

Buh-bye now.

This state has had its share of pitiful directors and leftover meat puppets from prior administrations.  Though selected by the incoming Snyder administration, Dazzo was clearly designed to fit in with them.  I had written before:

"In January of 2011, Maura Corrigan, former Michigan Supreme Court Justice, and the newly installed DHS director, rightly declared the child care workers were NOT employees of the state, ending their nightmare, but the Director of the Department of Community Health Olga Dazzo had no such plans.  This required further legislative action to clarify the status of the contractors."

Of course Snyder could have done more as well, but at least Maura had the sense of what is proper, and didn't need the prod that would never be forthcoming from our falling over left get-along RINO chief executive.  Now Olga is leaving:

"LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Rick Snyder today accepted the resignation of Department of Community Health Director Olga Dazzo, who has decided to return to the private sector. The governor named former Director James K. Haveman, Jr. to lead the agency. Dazzo was appointed by Snyder in December 2010.   "

I doubt we've seen the last of her though.  It wouldn't surprise me if in her future "private sector" endeavors, she doesn't wind up financially interested in some health care exchange contracts.