While we like keeping the Fetpak Blog light, we are making an exception.  With Independence Day nearly here this is the perfect time to discuss a potential violation of the US Constitution.  We feel what is now going on in Congress is too important to ignore and it will negatively affect many small businesses.  For years Congress has attempted to find ways to tax sales across State lines despite the fact that forcing businesses to collect Sales Tax across State lines violates the US Commerce Clause of the Constitution.

Judges have ruled against States that took companies to court in hopes of skirting the Commerce Clause.  However this time is different.  There are large corporations that are now a major force in lobbying Congress for the passage of the Interstate Sales Tax.  Their goal is to put the smaller businesses (which are their competitors) out of business.  They are ignoring whether it is fair and just or if it violates the US Commerce Clause.  In other words despite the US Constitution, they are going full steam ahead to get this passed. 

The Democratic Senate has already passed this, now it’s up to the Republican House to kill this bill and uphold the Constitution.

Founding Fathers Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington

Below are the names of a few of the large corporations lobbying for this bill.  These are the same companies that get property tax breaks or exemptions from State and Local Government when they build a store or warehouse (when a company gets a tax break someone else has to pay more, could it be you?

Amazon (the most vocal lobbying company on this issue)

Best Buy

Home Depot

Walmart

Those are the companies looking to eliminate competition and put the small businesses out of business.  Those are the companies who are in the pockets of the politicians.

These companies are in effect ripping up the US Constitution in order to benefit commercially.  Remember what they stand for next time you are thinking about purchasing from them.