Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Arkansas Politics Womack makes the easy choice - Walmart's wishes
Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 6:31 AM
Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack made the choice you'd expect a congressman from Arkansas's 3rd District to make in pushing for legislation to make Internet-only retailers collect sales taxes. Walmart has been pushing for the legislation so as to end the edge Amazon and others have held by not collecting the sales tax.
We happen to agree with Womack on this one. It's fair, it collects a tax that consumers already owe (but don't pay) it will prevent the slow destruction of governments that depend on sales taxes by migration of business from brick-and-mortar retailers to e-commerce.
But has Womack checked with Teresa Oelke, the Kochs' enforcer in Northwest Arkansas? Or checked with a state legislator who enjoyed Walmart's backing, the soon-to-be-voter-retired Tim Summers of Bentonville?
There are yellow dogs and then there are bright yellow dogs when it comes to Northwest Arkansas Republicans. Several of them paid dearly for being willing to let Arkansas citizens vote on tax increases, much less voting themselves to actually enable taxes, as Womack is doing.
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