"Hands off the Internet" LPM Tells Politicians

3/30/00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tim O'Brien
(313) 562-5778

DEARBORN. The Libertarian Party of Michigan has begun a radio campaign across the state urging voters to contact their legislators and demand that they leave the Internet tax and regulation free.

"Combining computers with the telecommunications system to create the Internet," observed LPM executive director, Tim O'Brien, "is the greatest advance in communications technology since Gutenberg combined the mechanical press with moveable type and created mass publishing."

Studies have shown that the Internet has already created more than 2 million new jobs. Current projections indicate that e-commerce will top the $1 trillion mark annually in less than three years.

"You and I see a future bright with promise, opportunities we can't yet even imagine," O'Brien added. "The politicians see the greatest 'cash cow' since they amended the constitution and started directly taxing people's income."

What about the point that state coffers are losing substantial revenue as Internet transactions currently go untaxed?

"Far from hurting," he answered, "state treasuries are bursting at the seams. In fact Michigan is very close to reaching the Headlee limit and will soon have to begin sending the excess revenue back to taxpayers in refunds!"

Then, what about the point that the current situation is unfair to so-called 'brick-and-mortar' retailers who must add the 6% sales tax to all of their transactions?

"That argument," O'Brien says, "turns logic on its head. The reason the U.S. Constitution prohibits taxing interstate trade is precisely because it is unfair to impose a tax on out-of-state businesses who, by definition, cannot benefit from the services the taxes are supposed to provide. If," he concluded, " Michigan businesses and their customers believe they are not getting a fair return in services on their tax dollars, the solution is to cut taxes -- not deny consumers any alternative."

The two week radio schedule is airing throughout the state and offers voters the opportunity to e-mail the message to their legislators by accessing the LPM's web-based lobbying utility at www.SpeakOutMichigan.org.

The Internet site permits voters to write their state legislators using either a pre-written letter, their own letter, or a combination of the two. By simply entering a home address the system will automatically determine which are the user's legislators and direct the e-mail to them.

Though sponsored by the LPM, the site is non-partisan and may be used by voters who belong to any political party -- or no political party at all.