Progress is slow in winning congressional approval of a measure to tax Internet sales for the benefit of states and cities. Note in this Stephens Media article the reluctance of Arkansas’s members of Congress to commit to the idea.

It has to happen. Or else local sales tax rates need to go up to offset the loss. Or else government services need to be trimmed. It’s simple arithmetic.

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I’ve been wondering for months how much of recent revenue woes of Arkansas cities is related to the migration of sales from local retailers to the Internet. But I’ve never seen any solid studies on it.

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