Taxing the Internet in Colorado

I advertise my driving business in many areas. I spend alot of $ each month advertising.
Our Colorado Legislature just put into effect HB-1193 which imposes sales tax on online retailers.
No other state has these rules.
Now I can no longer advertise with Amazon because they refuse to participate in Colorado's plan.
Here is the mailing I just got from Amazon.
Ron
Thanks alot to our Tax crazed Governor Ritter and Democrat assembly

Dear Colorado-based Amazon Associate:

We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to inform you that the Colorado government recently enacted a law to impose sales tax regulations on online retailers. The regulations are burdensome and no other state has similar rules. The new regulations do not require online retailers to collect sales tax. Instead, they are clearly intended to increase the compliance burden to a point where online retailers will be induced to "voluntarily" collect Colorado sales tax -- a course we won't take.

We and many others strongly opposed this legislation, known as HB 10-1193, but it was enacted anyway. Regrettably, as a result of the new law, we have decided to stop advertising through Associates based in Colorado. We plan to continue to sell to Colorado residents, however, and will advertise through other channels, including through Associates based in other states.

There is a right way for Colorado to pursue its revenue goals, but this new law is a wrong way. As we repeatedly communicated to Colorado legislators, including those who sponsored and supported the new law, we are not opposed to collecting sales tax within a constitutionally-permissible system applied even-handedly. The US Supreme Court has defined what would be constitutional, and if Colorado would repeal the current law or follow the constitutional approach to collection, we would welcome the opportunity to reinstate Colorado-based Associates.

You may express your views of Colorado's new law to members of the General Assembly  and to Governor Ritter, who signed the bill.

Your Associates account has been closed as of March 8, 2010, and we will no longer pay advertising fees for customers you refer to Amazon.com after that date. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned prior to March 8, 2010, will be processed and paid in accordance with our regular payment schedule. Based on your account closure date of March 8, any final payments will be paid by May 31, 2010.

We have enjoyed working with you and other Colorado-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program, and wish you all the best in your future.


Best Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

Ralleys

Lets see, Yesterday I was at a protest in front of Senator Bennet's office. He had a meeting where he spoke to invited guests only. Really, he just doesn't get it, from his comments about us in this mornings paper. He says he wants more reasoned debate, yet he won't talk to anyone with opposing ideas. He says he wants less rhetoric but it seems to me that his side is full of rhetoric. He said that "our politics seems unbelievably trivial and unhelpful," and opposition to the health care bill is simply unhinged from the facts. Gawd I hope he's voted out of office this next election. Chosen, not elected, the first time.

Now today I went to a kick-off rally for the upcoming election season for conservatism. Some great motivational speakers talking up the caucus system of choosing our candidates. Good stuff, I bought a book and had it signed by the author who was standing there.
   I didn't know that Colorado is one of only three states that still has the caucus system. We are very lucky to have it, it truly is grass root politics.

TABOR

Background

    Nestled at the foot of Pikes Peak on the western flank of the Great Plains, Colorado Springs is one of the  prettiest cities in the United States. The poem and song America The Beautiful immortalizes our vistas.

    But, like most of our country, we lie under a heavy burden of fools and incompetents in government whose answer to every problem, real or imagined, is more taxes.

    Formerly, any collection of dimwits in city, county, or state government could raise taxes at their whim. But one crusty curmudgeon (yes, there is more than one here) took exception and in 1992, after several tries, managed to amend Section X of the Colorado Constitution by means of a voter referendum. That amendment, known as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, requires any governing body in the state that wants to raise taxes to submit the question to the citizens within their jurisdiction for a vote up or down.

     Voluntary tax increases are not nearly as popular with citizens as politicians would like. Since TABOR passed they have been trying every slimy dodge imaginable to wriggle around this constraint. The current depression has renewed their vainglorious efforts.

       In 2008 a local county commissioner (an attorney of course) threatened to sell the county parks if citizens rejected his proposed tax and spend increase that was, in his mind, absolutely essential for "public safety." Predictably, citizens didn't take kindly to the threat and the tax increase failed by a wide margin and he is looking for another government job next year. Turned out the parks did not need to be sold and crime rates remain among the lowest in the nation.

      Another popular dodge is for politicians to pass a tax and call it a fee. A few years back Colorado Springs decided to tax property owners for the rain that fell on them. Knowing such a tax was quite unlikely to receive voter approval they called it a Stormwater Enterprise fee that applied to rain that fell on every impermeable surface on one's property. Well the same curmudgeon that got TABOR passed didn't take kindly to the bungling city government's "fee" for rainwater and petitioned against it, issue 300 in the November 2009 election.

     The current depression has also curtailed tax revenues for the City of Colorado Springs as its citizens incomes dried up and the homeless tents along the creeks multiplied. The answer, of course, as any self-serving politician will tell you, is to once again raise property taxes despite the record number of home foreclosures. And if citizens refuse to bear any burden to support the profligate city government, where an average employee earns around $60,000 a year and the city clerk earns twice that, why it would be necessary to discharge police and firemen and shut down the parks. Sound familiar?

      Again that cantankerous old curmudgeon refused to accept the politicians pleas for "More, more, more, no taxation is ever enough to pay for our mistakes and blunders." And so he petitioned against that tax increase as well, referendum 2C on the November 2009 ballot.

      Now being a fair, impartial, and unbiased government, with a well-educated and informed law enforcement agency, city attorney, and, of course, courts, the obvious step for the city government to take was to have this unspeakably evil curmudgeon and his crony arrested for exercising their Constitutional right to petition for redress at a local Costco. The Keysone Cops episode that followed is described in their own words below and deftly illustrates how dysfunctional our "legal" system has become.

______________________________________________________________________________

How local government scorned the U.S. Bill of Rights

By Doug Stinehagen and Douglas Bruce

Colorado Springs Gazette

Reproduced with permission of the authors

     December 14, 2009, was the 218th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Our city government recently showed how little it respects the freedoms listed there.

     Charged with a crime August 15, we demanded a speedy trial, but it was delayed until December 4. We paid a ³fee² for our jury trial. We requested 12 jurors, and got six.
      The officer¹s citation first ordered us to court August 8, a week before the alleged crime! It listed Mr. Stinehagen as female. It stated our ³crime² occurred in September, a month later than the day we were charged. The officer meant to charge trespassing, but the citation was for transporting explosives ‹ a felony. Mr. Stinehagen¹s charge was amended two days before trial.
      No Costco employee ever asked us to leave, a legal requirement for trespass. Councilman Herpin later called that glaring omission a ³technicality.² We showed printed police policy bulletins promising no trespass arrests of peaceful petitioners. The officer stated we would not be cited.
      Armed with handgun and Taser, she ordered three times we erase a photo taken. That forced destruction of evidence was so clearly a felony (18-8-610 C.R.S.) she was advised of her right not to testify against herself.
     We signed her citations about 5:30 p.m. and left. After 9 p.m., she pounded on Mr. Bruce¹s door and demanded he return his citation for her to rewrite. He refused. She then tried to coerce his 76-year-old co-defendant in a 10 p.m. phone call. She then altered both tickets, after we had signed them and received copies!
      Our motion that the case be heard by a neutral outside judge was denied. Our judge was a loyal city employee whom the council appointed and could fire any time, and whose salary faced a financial impact if our petition, issue #300, passed.

    Two weeks later, that judge dismissed the tickets over our objections, letting the city re-file with three weeks delay. Police rewrote the tickets, quietly changing Mr. Bruce¹s charge and other items, while pretending to fix only the date.
     City Attorney Patricia Kelly emailed the city council about the new filing and invited them to reply if they wanted the case dropped. Asking politicians whether to prosecute their political foe is grossly unethical. We notified the state bar. The judge covered up that email discussion and council¹s secret and illegal meeting.

     Prosecutors proposed gag orders that we not mention ³freedom of speech,² police bulletins, proof of targeted prosecution, etc. The city had secretly changed its petition policy by demand of Costco¹s Denver lawyer. We were ordered not to show the jury his email naming Mr. Bruce as the target of the change. Their new policy, never passed by the council, erased ³First Amendment² 14 times. It specifically protected burning our American flag, but ended previous tolerance of peaceful petitioners.

      On a sidewalk outside the courthouse, a man handed out informational fliers noting the historic role of juries as buffers against tyranny. No jurors had been chosen for any case. The city-paid judge went ballistic and orally made up a law that no one could ever post signs or pass out leaflets within 100 yards of the courthouse. He made that area a ³constitution-free zone.² Talk about legislating from the bench!  No offering papers to sign on public access property, no distributing papers to read within 100 yards of public property ‹ two insane and illegal city ³rules.³

      The judge asked us in open court, ³When WE finish the prosecution, will you be ready with your witnesses?² That gaffe exposed him as a co-prosecutor, rather than an objective arbiter of justice. When we asked for the tape, he said it was not recorded, claiming an electronic ³glitch.²
      This city-paid judge blocked testimony from about 30 defense witnesses, 25 of whom had petitioned at Costco without arrest, and many documents proving our innocence.

       Jurors were denied the transcript of the star city witness¹s prior sworn testimony showing his many inconsistencies, and his typed statement he signed in August, showing (a third time) he never asked us to leave. We were threatened with contempt of court if we mentioned our evidence.

       Verdict: Not guilty.

       The city¹s bumbling incompetence was so gross they made the Keystone Kops look like the Bolshoi Ballet. The bias was overt. We would call this a kangaroo court proceeding, but kangaroos might sue us for libel.

 ³Doug Stinehagen and Douglas Bruce are patriots who will continue to petition.²

_____________________________________________________________________________

     I am pleased to note that the citizens of Colorado Springs turned down the property tax increase, 2C, proposed by the (what term describes them?) city council. And that issue 300 passed, ending the city's end run around TABOR with fees on rainwater and other malfeasance.

     I'm also confident that most readers will not be shocked to learn that after the 2C tax measure was defeated that certain funds were suddenly discovered to cover the dire shortfalls so alarmingly described before the November election.

     The sad thing, though, is that this case represents a cross-section of what millions of Americans endure every day as they pass through our "justice" system. Arrests are made on false allegations without question, children are forcibly taken on imagined charges based on anonymous phone calls,  it is often impossible to get a jury trial, coercion and even torture of defendants is routine, courtrooms bear a distinct resemblance to Star Chambers, the outcome is often predetermined by the judge's cronies, transcripts are lost or altered due to recording "glitches," and may god have pity on anyone before the bar who can't afford an attorney at $200-$500 hour or more.

       Of course, the obvious solution in the political mind is to raise taxes and fees and pour more money into child protective services, police, jails, judges, police, and social interventions. Encouraging marriage and families is contraindicated in their world and any curmudgeon who dares challenge their eminences must be done away with. And for any Doubting Thomas may I recommend Barbara Johnson's recent book Behind The Black Robes: Failed Justice.

Bah humbug,

One more curmudgeon

                              ___________________________________

Racial terror in Denver that won’t make national news

Racial terror in Denver that won't make national news

By Michelle Malkin  •  November 24, 2009 10:31 AM

Chilling details are emerging in the local Colorado press about violent black gangs who have been targeting white victims for months:

The Denver Police Department announced today that they have made 32 arrests during a sweep to end a four-month spree of what police said were racially motivated assaults and robberies in downtown Denver, including the LoDo entertainment district.
A task force comprised of the Denver Police, FBI and the Denver District Attorney's Office investigated 26 incidents in which groups of black males verbally harassed and then assaulted white or Hispanic males, according to Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman.
Many of the victims were robbed after being assaulted.

Although police knew what was going on, citizens were left in the dark.
More dangerously blind diversity-mongeringat work? Fear of litigation or accusations of profiling by the usual mau-mauers?
You decide:

Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said that groups of young black males from the Rollin' 60s Crips and the Black Gangster Disciples gangs approached single white or Latino men late at night and struck them in the head, often after berating them and calling attention to their race, but sometimes attacking without warning.
Victims in the LoDo and 16th Street Mall attacks suffered broken noses and shattered eye sockets, among other head injuries. Sometimes wallets and other small items were stolen.
"We have seen coordinated efforts before, but not by this large of a group," Whitman said as the arrests were announced Friday.
Yet no concerted effort was made to alert residents to the unusual nature of these violent crimes, or their apparent racial motivation.
Police say there may have been 26 such attacks, almost all against white males, but investigators stress there could be other victims and more are coming forward. A few are women.
Monday, police spokesman Sonny Jackson told us all but one of the 35 suspects are now in jail, each on a $1 million bond due to the racial bias involved. The mostly young men and teenage boys are charged with aggravated assault, aggravated robbery and bias-motivated crimes.
The situation was so grave even the FBI got involved.
Who knew? Certainly not the young white and Latino men who were at risk of being attacked.
Though Denver Police issued a warning on Sept. 3 that they were aware of "a pattern of assaults and robberies," they simply said "single males" should be on the lookout.
Jackson said that at the time, police weren't yet aware of the full scope and biased nature of the attacks. Once the warning went out and police heightened their presence, he said, the attacks "dried up."
Therefore, Jackson told us, it was unnecessary to issue a more explicit warning, even as investigators learned the more menacing aspects of the crimes.
Jackson said keeping the warning broad should have been enough. "We didn't want anyone to take their guard down," Jackson said.
But if police know that a particular segment of the population is being targeted, don't they have a responsibility to give potential victims a specific warning?

Looks like yet another case of "If you see something, say something — unless it's politically incorrect."

225,000 people are driving illegally in Colorado

Audit: Unlicensed drivers big problem in Colorado

The Associated Press

Posted: 11/03/2009 11:07:24 AM MST

Updated: 11/03/2009 11:07:24 AM MST

DENVER—A state audit estimates that as many as 225,000 people are driving illegally in Colorado and that unlicensed drivers were involved in nearly one-fourth of all fatal crashes last year.
Legislators requested the audit after an unlicensed driver in the country illegally was accused of causing an accident last year that killed three people in Aurora, including a 3-year-old in an ice cream shop.
Drivers without valid licenses were involved in 24 percent of last year's fatal crashes. There were 548 people who died in traffic accidents and 130 of those died in crashes involving unlicensed drivers.
The auditors say strategies used by other states include impounding vehicles and putting special stickers on car that have been driven by people without valid licenses.
———
Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

Cowboy rules

Cowboy rules for:

Arizona, Texas ,   Oklahoma,     Colorado , New Mexico , Wyoming , Montana , Utah, Idaho, Nebraska and the rest of the Wild West are as follows (This includes transplants): 1. Pull your pants up.  You look like an idiot. 2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked. 3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way. 4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-10 & I-40 go east and west, I-17 & I-15 goes north and south. Pick one and go. 5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 Combines that are driven only 3 weeks a year. 6. Every person in the Wild West waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept. 7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/doves are comin' in during a hunt, we WILL shoot it outta your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time. 8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer and elk. You really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop. 9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November. 10. We open doors for women. That's applied to all women, regardless of age. 11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey.  12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup! Oh, yeah ... We don't care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you eat ... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!! 13. You bring 'Coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair. 14. College and High School Football is as important here as the Giants, the Yankees, the Mets, the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch. 15. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish. 16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump  ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to #1! A true Westerner will send this to at least 10 others and a few new friends that probably won't get it, but we're friendly so we share in hopes you can begin to understand what a real life is all about!!!

The Constitutionalist

Hi Everyone- Exciting news!!!....we are publishing Colorado Springs' (and surrounding areas) first conservative voice newspaper.  It has come to our attention over and over again and we have decided to proceed.  We will not be "the fair voice" nor will we be the "balanced" paper.  We are going to bring the truth, the facts and we will be the "tell all" on this administration and what is happening in our country. Our monthly newspaper will be called, "The Constitutionalist" and will be distributed all over El Paso, Teller and South Douglas County. Please come to a meeting of the minds on Monday, the 26th of October at Pikes Perk on Vickers and Academy at 10am for brain-storming ideas.  I have emailed all those I think would be contributors and please feel free to bring anybody you think would be an asset to this cause. Email me or call me with any questions you may have before then, otherwise we will see you then! Lana Fore-Warkocz Publisher The Constitutionalist 719.287.8890 lanafore@aol.com

Two women seeking the Republican nomination

WWE Chief Executive Linda McMahon Brings Strong Democratic Ties to Her Attempt to Smackdown Chris Dodd
Published by Michael Beckel on September 16, 2009 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
McMahonWWE.jpgLinda McMahon, the chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, announced today she's seeking the Republican Party's nomination to upset incumbent Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). (She also announced that she would be resigning from her WWE post to focus on her campaign.)

But McMahon's history is hardly that of a hardcore Republican.

McMahon and husband Vince McMahon, who is the chairman of the WWE, have contributed nearly $90,000 to federal candidates and committees since 1989, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. And of this sum, 51 percent has gone to Democrats and 47 percent has gone to Republicans.
opensecrets

Can you say Rino!!!!!


Jane Norton formally enters Senate race

Saying she had become "more and more alarmed about the direction our nation is headed," Jane Norton, a Republican and former lieutenant governor, formally launched her 2010 campaign for the U.S. Senate today with rallies spanning the state, including one at the downtown Antlers Hilton.

Norton's theme here and at appearances in Denver and Grand Junction was the size and reach of the federal government.

"At every turn, Washington's giant hand seems to be grabbing everything in sight," she said, "seizing control of our car companies, banks, insurance companies, exploding the national debt and chipping away at individual liberty."

She promised to be "a senator who will stand up to big government power grabs."
gazette