Arkansas Blog

Perhaps Rep. Tiffany Rogers of Stuttgart is answering to a larger boss:

"[National Retail Federation] NRF in December proposed that a series of national sales tax holidays be held during March, July and October 2009, each lasting 10 days including two weekends. Tax-free treatment would apply to all tangible goods subject to state sales tax except tobacco and alcohol, ranging from retail merchandise and restaurant meals to automobiles. The federal government would reimburse the 45 states that have sales taxes for the lost revenue, and would provide the five states without a sales tax (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon) with comparable revenue based on population."

Can anyone tell me how stimulating retail sales and hence placing more orders to China, Taiwan, So.America is going to help America's Current Account Deficit? You may convince me that a holiday on the automobile sales taxes (large) would be a domestic stimulus but it would not go much further.

First to spend additional sums consumers need one of two things: more income or more credit. Now they have neither. We've gone thru easy credit and that bubble has burst likely for a decade to come. Wingnuts say tax cuts are the key to stimulate events. However, Moody's.com research shows that unemployement benefits and food stamps are by far the best stimulating programs. What NRF is proposing is more government stimulus targeted to retail or gubbermint acting as credit provider.

Now here's the rest of NRF's pitch:

"NRF estimates that the proposed tax holidays could save consumers nearly $20 billion, or almost $175 for the average family, based on the $236 billion in sales tax collected nationwide each year. Beyond consumers saving money on already-expected purchases, retailers have reported sales increases of 35-40 percent from state-level tax holidays that have become popular in recent years."

"The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution..."

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[ ] REAL guns: available 24/7/365, few (if any) restrictions.

[ ] TOY guns: LEGISLATE!!!

In AR at least We [truly] ARE Ruled By Idiots (WARBI). And of course the icons of liberty and fierce protectors of the Constitution: the NRA and Family Council. You definitely cannot make this shit up!
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