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Amazon Cuts Off North Carolina Affiliates
Amazon.com has reportedly cut off all affiliates in North Carolina as a preemptive response to the sales tax change being pushed through the state legislature. The Seattle-based online retailer warned affiliates last week that such a move might be necessary, but the early shutoff seems to be a move in hopes of swaying opinion on the proposed legislation. "Local affiliates say they were 'blind-sided' by the company's action. 'I got this e-mail at 4:30 this morning,' said James Barrett, a technology consultant from Winston-Salem. 'It wasn't saying your account will be shut down. It said it is shut down. That just blew me up right there.' Barrett said that he is frustrated at lawmakers for considering the tax, but equally aggravated with Amazon. 'They're trying to tick off all their associates and get them to call down to Raleigh,' Barrett said. 'I think that is pretty tacky. That's not the way to use people who are referring business to your business.'"
And you appear to lack the cojones to post under your own account.
Simple reality is I can only think of 2 or 3 establishments that were proactive in keeping smoking areas that were separately ventilated and which their staff weren't ordinarily required to enter while smokers were present. Most places that kicked up a fuss about new laws were the same ones that played fast and loose with the health of their patrons and employees.
I know, lets use some of that stimulus money to keep these companies afloat! You know, that stimulus money that was supposed to be paid for by the taxes that they want to impose...
An inventor is a man who asks 'Why?' of the universe and lets nothing stand between the answer and his mind.
Just think about what you said for a minute. Do you understand how often these changes in taxes occur at the State, City, County, Borough, Township, and other levels? Do you understand that not every tax can be tied to a zip code, and that some boroughs or cities encompass more than one zip? Do you realize that there is no effectual way to be 100% certain of this data at this time without having a physical office in the area keeping track of where each brick and mortar store is located?
Not all states have the same tax structure, not all states even have sales tax, for that matter. Even if someone set up office in every tax region, based solely on how the tax lines are drawn, and kept an up to date database for all of the effective taxes in those areas, the monthly cost of getting this daily updated database would likely far exceed my business's monthly income, and would effectively run me out of business. This would happen to hundreds if not thousands of other small-time operations that don't make much, but are side businesses increasing the income and spending in many many homes.
Now, what happens when you suddenly kill off a chunk of the expendable income of hundreds of thousands of homes? You suddenly have less money flowing in the economy. Right now is a stupid time to be doing anything that kills of expendable income.
Before commenting on the Bible, please read it first
"At every turn, government at all levels seek more and more money rather than taking a hard look at where they are spending it"
This is complete bullshit.
They always are looking at how they are spending it, and trying to improve it.
I am really sick of you morons going on about government finance you know NOTHING about.
"but I have to wonder if such a project were applied properly, if it wouldn't be run more efficiently. "
I got news for you, almost all government agency are more efficiently the corporations.
Your perception is skewed because almost no errors are publicized with corporations and ONLY errors are reported from the government.
"save money or to use it wisely. "
not true.
"They have no profit motive and clearly no personal integrity or desire to serve motives"
Your just being an asshole there.
"So I have to wonder, what motives would cause governments at local, state and even federal levels to deliver "good service" to the people at the lowest cost possible?"
They do. The fact that it's more expensive to do something well then you know is irrelevant.
Pretty much every government service that gets privatized has failed. Why? no money to make.
I suggest you learn to read annual Budget and actual reports, and look into the actual cost of building something.
All the information is public.
It is not without problems, bu so does any large organization, and since you seem t be lumping all government service under one umbrella, that's a fucking huge organization. We are talking about 10'd of thousands of projects done every day, o ntime at on or under budget.
If anyone in government was as off with estimates as corporate projects are would loose their job.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on