Special Interests Guide Web Sales Tax Policy

Re: “Web Sales Tax Plan Pushed in California,” Feb. 12.:

When will we stop letting special-interest money set the policy in Washington?

When I went into business nobody said that I didn’t need to collect sales tax for the first three years while I got my business going. I had to play the game just like every other business in California.

Yet Congress, under pressure from high-priced lobbying by the high-tech industry, allowed Internet businesses to not pay sales tax on goods sold anywhere in the country.

This costs all of us through reduced sales-tax revenue, which would go a long way to help balance our state budget. Online retailers say levies are too complicated to collect.

It’s not too complicated to sell the merchandise and collect profits, is it?

Arnie Sperling

Los Angeles