Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines
before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules
when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
US economy grows by 2.5 percent in first quarter of 2013
Senator McCain pleads with business leaders for help on immigration
Michele Bachmann Tries, Fails To Quote Shakespeare During House Debate: ‘Thou Protestest Too Much’
Eric Holder: Citizenship For Illegal Immigrants Is A ‘Matter Of Civil And Human Rights’
Rand Paul Further Explains Away Drone Flip-Flop On Hannity: ‘I Think I Was Misunderestimated’
In fairness to Rand, he was intentionally quoting Bush.
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016Misunderestimated... Should we make that word a redirect for Beware the Silly Ones?
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.Former Congressman Todd Akin breaks silence: talks comeback, takes on Republican establishment
Yes Todd. Its all the establishment's fault and nothing to do with the fact you're a woman-hating troglodyte. Or that your views are exactly whats killing the republican partyu because "standing on principle" is why everyone but white suburbia hates you.
Why do I even live in the same state as you.
edited 26th Apr '13 4:27:52 PM by Midgetsnowman
Let's hope not.
Senate Dems introduce tobacco tax measure
edited 26th Apr '13 4:41:32 PM by DeviantBraeburn
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016![]()
It's there bread and butter.
GOP Pollster Frank Luntz: Limbaugh, Levin, And Right-Wing Talk Radio Are ‘Problematic’
I think this counts as politics since it's legislation, but the Marketplace Fairness Act
is likely to get passed. Basically, it lets states charge sales tax on online purchases from vendors earning more than $1 million a year.
Here's the full bill.
Do you think it's a good bill, or a bad bill?
Well, one plus will be that Amazon will more likely build warehouses in every state (I think they apply sale taxes to orders within states where they have warehouses and such), so there's faster delivery.
On the other hand...taxes.
Also, there's the whole question about ebooks and .mp3 files. Do virtual products count?
edited 26th Apr '13 5:14:43 PM by chihuahua0
Hmm...I'll need to look at whatever this bill is enforceable on international vendors, but in terms of difficulty of implementation:
(i) information indicating the taxability of products and services along with any product and service exemptions from sales and use tax in the State and a rates and boundary database;
(ii) software free of charge for remote sellers that calculates sales and use taxes due on each transaction at the time the transaction is completed, that files sales and use tax returns, and that is updated to reflect rate changes as described in subparagraph (H); and
(iii) certification procedures for persons to be approved as certified software providers.
I feel like the big businesses will have better ease with this.
But if it's only from businesses earning one billion a year, like Chihuahua said, how will this drive the smaller vendors off the internet? Doesn't seem like it would effect them much with that rule.
Also, at this point I'm pretty certain that any business that wants to survive has to STAY on the internet in order to have a shot, regardless of whatever taxes are in place.
And ninety three percent does seem prohibitive if they really want to make money off tobacco. (Although I don't know how big the taxes they're doing the ninety three percent increase on already are.)
Yeah, a 93% increase is only big if the current rate is big. As for it pushing sales to the black market, it looks like they a cracking down on that to. Though if the tax rate goes up by % won't that result in a bigger increase in those states with a bigger current tax? Could that lead to tobacco tourism? (Where you drive across state lines to buy, because the amount saved on tax is more then the cost of fuel)
As for the online sales tax, it could work. I don't see how it's gonna cripple small businesses with the minimum size requirement. Most likely, it will simply slow down the decline in actual physical shops.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ CyranI dunno; Texas is a huge place so if this is a thing that happens here.... yeah, most people would probably just stay where they are unless they live right next to the state border. Or Texarkana. Or the Mexican border, I guess. I mean, our gas is cheaper because the stuff is mined and refined in some places here, but you can go from one place to another and take ten damn hours and still be in Texas! That's a bit far to go just to get cheaper cigarettes.
I'm just thinking of things like the booze runs my mum use to take me on to France. I don't think it was a tax thing, but because of the prize difference and our closeness to the channel I have many childhood memories of trips to France to buy a load of booze and come back. I also know that in Northern Ireland you get people crossing the border into the republic for cheaper fuel. so one assumes that if the difference is big enough with something like cigarettes, you'll get the same thing.
Edit: just re read the thing, it says that it would establish the tax rate as the same across the board, so you'd only get tobacco tourism on the Canadian border, you might actually see people on the borders buying more locally if they won't get a better tax rate by going out of state.
edited 26th Apr '13 10:35:05 PM by Silasw
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ CyranNot to smuggle them. Equalizing a really high tobacco tax across the board will just lead to even more people buying it from smugglers. In some states that already comprises well over half the tobacco market.
edited 26th Apr '13 11:02:33 PM by Pykrete

Rand Paul: “Because it’s not so much the drone that we object to. If some guy’s robbing a liquor store two blocks from here and the policemen come up and he comes out brandishing a gun, he or she can be shot.”
Gee, Paul. How nice of you to finally acknowledge the argument that many of us have been making for a long time: it's the extrajudicial killings that are the problem, not the methods used to conduct them.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"