Greedy Government, Colorado Edition

I get fighting mad every time I have to endure someone label a person who tries to preserve what they earned or own as 'greedy'. The real greed lies with rapacious governments, ever trying to spend other people's money. That's greed.


Now, while I am woefully underemployed right now, the next time I am buying a CD or book, it's coming from Amazon, who reacted to the State of Colorado's greedy hands with a a cutting of ties with their online referring associates. From Huffington Post:

In response to recent legislation in Colorado (HB 10-1193), Amazon.com has sent a letter to its affiliates in Colorado informing them that the on-line sales giant will no longer be advertising through businesses in the state that that make money by referring buyers.

In order to close a $1.5 Billion budget gap, Colorado Democrats this session have passed a law that would make it possible to collect sales taxes on on-line purchases by creating an economic nexus between state residents and on-line retailers.

The bill, which was part of a package of tax measures aimed at increasing revenue, originally sought to create a nexus between the state and on-line retailers based on their ties to local affiliate websites, which link to products. The bill was ultimately altered due largely to fears that retailers like Amazon would simply cut ties to Colorado companies that make money by referring buyers.

The final bill, which was signed into law in February, instead required large online retailers to start collecting sales taxes or provide a summary of people's web purchases in the state, leaving affiliates out of the equation. This created an economic nexus without making local affiliates a scapegoat for paying local sales taxes.

Amazon has apparently elected to cut dies (sic) to its Colorado affiliates regardless.

Good! I can't blame any business that decides the tax burden is too onerous to carry on, and quits or moves to a less offensive location. Do we learn nothing from history? This country was made on being a place of lower taxes, fewer wars, and cheap labor. Got any idea how the British Empire sank? Higher taxes, endless war, and very expensive labor.

Too bad Amazon didn't decide to stop selling to Colorado entirely. That would have been a wise pre-emptive strike message to any other state that wants to crush the economic engine that powered the Clinton years.

In a press release, Governor Bill Ritter admonished Amazon:

"Amazon has taken a disappointing - and completely unjustified - step of ending its relationship with associates. While Amazon is blaming a new state law for its action, the fact is that Amazon is simply trying to avoid compliance with Colorado law and is unfairly punishing Colorado businesses in the process."

Well, go pound sand, Governor Ritter. Your lack of understanding is profound.

Is Amazon trying to avoid future taxation? You bet! That makes them smart. Unjustified? Should people and their business be chained to locations? Should they be forced to make decisions to work against their own interests? Ritter apparently thinks so.

Too many elected officials forget why businesses exist- so that goods or services can be sold, to the mutual benefit of consumer and provider. Nobody goes into business for the purpose of fattening the coffers of state government. Only an idiot- a greedy idiot- would lose sight of this. When too put upon by greedy pinheads, of course sensible people want to leave. For reference, see: Cleveland, Detroit, Youngstown, DC, and a host of cities that have bled population as a result of their tax policies.

Lucky I visted Colorado in 2008. It's off the list for places to spend money for some time to come.

Note: Huffington Post is one of the most irritating sites to use. There is so much junk going on that scrolling down, and cutting and pasting is a painful chore, waiting for all the crap to load. Great that they get the ads, but HuffPo makes Facebook look sleek and elegant by comparison.

Koles in Colorado

(Superior, CO)- First stop, the home of Tom & Juli Kole. Tom is my cousin, and is an entrepreneur in the tech world. Micro-devices, blue tooth, all that stuff. He already had his parents visiting, along with his sister Jennifer and her family, so what was adding Ame, Isabel, and I?

We drove into Boulder for a look at the college town, and a walk in the creek.

From left, Isabel, my cousin Tom, cousin Jennifer, aunt Judy, niece Kaylee, Ame, Jen's husband Brian Markovitz. 

Tom carries Kaylee in the icy creek. This is mountain run-off.

It's fantastic seeing mountain backdrops in any direction, what with the lack of terrain in Indiana. We were still a drive away from the mountains, and with a mini-reunion happening, a hike wasn't happening yet.

We had big laughs watching Tom's video collection. He's restored old Super-8 film from the 70s- with all of us wearing the finest plaid of the day. Great laughs.

Today, it's a drive into Wyoming.

Tomorrow's Travels

We have some interesting travels ahead of us over the next few days:

Boulder, CO- My cousin Tom and his wife Juli live there these days, and as luck would have it, my Aunt & Uncle will already be there, along with my cousin Jennifer and her family.

Wyoming- Hard to say where all we will visit, but we're definitely driving through, and it looks like Thermopolis (think, 'city of hot springs') and Cody (Buffalo Bill) are on the short list.

Big Sky, MT- Site of Ame's conference. Let's hear it once again for the medical profession, for they know where to place their conferences. This stands in stark constrast to engineering, which lands us in Madison WI in January, and Pittsburgh any time. This is right near Yellowstone Park, and is said to be stunningly gorgeous. I'm up for that!

Yellowstone Park- Animals, forest, and Old Faithful. Isabel will love it.

On the Maybe List- Grand Teton Park, Idaho, Jackson WY. Hard to say. These are a bit out of the way, and we aren't doing the hi-miler hellride.

There will be postcards for Greg. My buddy and I send 'em to each other when we visit a state we'd never been to before. He sent me one reading "49" last year when he hit Arkansas. He'll get one marked "39" for Wyoming, "40" for Montana, and "41" for Idaho, if we get there.

Left on the list: Vermont, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii. The four grouped in the South are bound to be last. I have almost no desire to go to any of those states.

How's your list shaping up?