Albany Herald

billstrickland 1 week, 5 days ago on Online sales taxes about 'fairness,' Georgia Chamber head says

Online sales taxes about 'fairness,' Georgia Chamber head says

Your comment that "it's going to take a crew of accounting folks" is not only wrong, it's ridiculous. If they're not calculating sales taxes for at least the states in which they have a presence, they're breaking the law. They're dodging their responsibility. As for "those folks" listing items on eBay, maybe you skipped over the last sentence in the story: "It would also exempt merchants with online annual out-of-state sales of $1 million or less." Poor old Uncle Earl won't be able to get rid of his DVD collection because he has to calculate sales tax? Poor old Uncle Earl must have a whole bunch of DVDs to make $1 million. The loophole that some sellers have been crawling through is damaging to those businesses who can't sell out of state. So I guess you're anti-small, anti-local. Georgia has a sales tax. If I buy something online from a company with no presence in Georgia, they probably won't charge me sales tax. Legally, that means I need to calculate the sales tax myself and send it to the Georgia Department of Revenue. In my book, that's the duty of the business doing the selling, not the duty of the buyer. Maybe you want to handle that all on your own. Bottom line is that all of us Georgians who buy something online and don't pay sales tax are dodging our responsiblities. The difference is, you apparently like that.

billstrickland 2 weeks, 1 day ago on Atheist group wants to join with community

Atheist group wants to join with community

Do you mean "heterogeneous"? Just asking.

billstrickland 3 weeks, 5 days ago on Economic Development pioneer Clifton dies at 84

Economic Development pioneer Clifton dies at 84

What a nice guy. I never heard anything but good comments about him, and I feel lucky to have met him back in the early 1980s. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

billstrickland 1 month, 2 weeks ago on Joe Bishop honored with service award

Joe Bishop honored with service award

Joe has always been a public-spirited family man and he is in my opinion unsurpassed in his continuing demonstration of community service.

billstrickland 1 month, 3 weeks ago on Newtown school gunman fired 154 rounds in less than 5 minutes

Newtown school gunman fired 154 rounds in less than 5 minutes

Well somebody doesn't know squat about something, anyway. Unless you're reading a different story, the last sentence said the search turned up a shotgun and two magazines containing 70 rounds of ammunition. It doesn't say anything about the magazines being for the shotgun. But go ahead and read whatever you want into it. At least you have an agenda.

billstrickland 7 months, 2 weeks ago on Herald to partner with Gannett on printing newspaper

Herald to partner with Gannett on printing newspaper

This is off-topic, but I admit it always amuses me to see someone complain in writing about misspelled words when they misspell "misspelled."

billstrickland 7 months, 2 weeks ago on Homewares giant KitchenAid apologizes for insulting Obama tweet

Homewares giant KitchenAid apologizes for insulting Obama tweet

well, I will never read an anonymous comment again. the cowards.

billstrickland 10 months, 3 weeks ago on Supreme Court upholds health care reform act (Added: What it means; poll)

Supreme Court upholds health care reform act (Added: What it means; poll)

How companies may interpret this will vary from place to place and depend somewhat on company size. However, company contributions to employee health insurance are part of company benefits paid in lieu of salary/wages; they're not a gift from the company to the employee.

While it is certain that in many ways tax revenues go to support people who should be supporting themselves, the rationale for the ACA is basically to make as many Americans as physically healthy as possible. Health and education of the American people do not constitute a step toward Socialism; they constitute a key part of national security interests.

billstrickland 11 months, 1 week ago on Hundreds line up for rental assistance program

Hundreds line up for rental assistance program

Every time a company gets a break on taxes or utilities, that's corporate welfare. Every time a very wealthy person gets a break on taxes because he can afford to shelter income in some way, that's rich-guy welfare. I assume that the loudmouths in Albany (and, frankly, from lots of places in Florida or near Macon or in other places across the country) are only angry about the help given to the needy. How dare they be poor, right? The mean, nasty, vicious people around here are overly proud of their small opinions and can often be found commenting on almost every single story, whether or not their comments have anything whatsoever to do with that story.

billstrickland 11 months, 4 weeks ago on Squawk of the Day - May 26, 2012

Squawk of the Day - May 26, 2012

Suggestion: Stay on-topic or keep your made-up history and false witness-bearing to yourself.

Bill Strickland