Comments about ‘Michael S. Greve: States can tax out-of-state purchases, but rarely enforce laws’

I know people that shop in Ontario Oregon to avoid the sales tax. It ssaves them a chunk of money. Oregon residents pay more in taxes though. For amazon or ebay there are not taxes yet. But if you give that item to a thrift store there are taxes there. Items bought and later donated to a thrift store in Idaho anyway get the sales tax twice. I did buy six two litter bottles of sunkist of amazon. A bit expensive more than the sales tax.

Idaho has been talking about taxing internet purchases for sometime. How do you do that with interstate commerce though? Unless ebay and amazon put the taxes on for residents of states with sales taxes.

"A penny for the governor". That was what I heard, as a boy when I bought a $1.00 gift for $1.00 and then found that I was a penny short. Now the governor wants 4.75% and the county/city/locality wants another 2% or so.

Do an online search and try to find where those taxes are spent. There is form after form with information on how to pay the taxes but almost nothing on line to tell us whose fingers are in the cash register taking that money and where they're spending it.

What's the big secret? Where do those sales tax dollars go? How many of us who can't afford to ride UTA are paying so that others can get a free ride? How about the Zoo? How about concerts? Why don't those who use those pay-to-enter businesses, pay all the costs of entering?

Finally, let "voluntary payment" remain voluntary. Turning the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker into tax collectors is anti-American. Let the tax collector hold up his cup and ask for "a penny for the governor".