Political Quotes

“``Level the Playing Field.'' When I ask small business owners what they would like the Federal Government to do to help them thrive, the answer I most frequently hear is, ``level the playing field.'' It may be a cliche, but there's truth to it. Most small businesspeople don't want a government handout. They don't want special treatment. They just want to be able to compete fairly against other businesses. That is why I am introducing the Main Street Fairness Act. If you are a small business owner in Peoria or Springfield or Alton, you compete against neighboring businesses down the street and, increasingly, with sellers on the internet. The businesses down the street have to collect the same State sales taxes that you do. But, many internet sellers don't. That means internet sellers have a built-in price advantage. That isn't fair, and it's not a level playing field. The Main Street Fairness Act would address that. The bill would give Congressional endorsement to the Streamline Sales and Use Tax Agreement, which 45 States and the District of Columbia created years ago to help make it feasible for businesses selling online to collect State and local sales taxes already owed. Why is this Agreement necessary? The Supreme Court ruled in the early '90s that the maze of current sales tax rules and rates was too complex to expect online retailers to comply. The States worked together to address that problem.…”