CA: State official backs Net tax

SJ Mercury News ^ | 2/7/03 | Mary Anne Ostrom and Dan Reed

[NormsRevenge]

State Controller Steve Westly said Thursday that he has been asked by Gov. Gray Davis to develop new Internet tax policies.

Westly told valley business leaders he envisions changes that will probably mean more widespread sales taxes on online purchases and possibly surcharges on Internet access and software downloads.

[NormsRevenge]

Former eBay executive and newly sworn in State Controller Steve Westly.

I guess when you're worth a few hundred million ... It seems like a good idea... NOT!!!

Westly on Thursday went further. He said he supported a national effort to come up with a fair and streamlined national system for collecting online sales taxes. In the past, California had refused to join, fearing online taxation would hurt e-commerce and drive businesses out of the state.

[AdamSelene235]

If you hold shares in a California based company make sure you write investor relations and ask that they leave.

[45Auto]

A net sales tax will be the end of the retail net. Anyway, the headline ought to read, "Commie official wants to tax the citizens to death."

[NormsRevenge]

We need a massive recall of all the demRatic soialists in Sacramento. They are shameless in the pursuit of the agenda.

They have and are raping this state's economy and blindly proposing to do even more damage to this state's future economic recovery.

Westly is concerned about the cuts in education and healthcare. B*^%S&#t!!! Cut the damn socialist programs that were rammed thru the last 4 years uunder a demRatically controlled legislature and signed off on by the Gubinator and kick out all the 70,000 plus state employees hired to work in these programs.

STOP The Insanity!!! It's TaX and Spend as usual. This is ludicrous.

Wake-Up, California... Before it is too late.

[facedown]

In the past, California had refused to join, fearing online taxation would hurt e-commerce and drive businesses out of the state.

D'ya think?

[bayareablues]

"wanted to show he was a controller fully engaged"

Right. Fully engaged in trying to make up for the screw ups of some imbecilic legislators by forever changing the internet and all of it's commerce. What a great new source of funds for these guys.

We need to put an immediate halt to this.

[EVO X]

A net sales tax will be the end of the retail net

Many states don't care. Illinois doesn't care if you buy it on the net or drive across the border. If you didn't pay tax on the item, you are suppose to pay tax if you use the item in state. It is called a use tax.

[Joe Boucher]

Like the Beatles said, "if you walk too much, they'll tax your feet".

[Centurion2000]

Wake-Up, California... Before it is too late.

It already is too late ... I pray for the day that they try to sell a statewide bond issue ... and no one buys.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Go back to sleep California... it's already WAY too late...

[Swordmaker]

State official backs Net tax

Do ursine creatures defecate in sylvan copses?