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Amazon isn't the only company in California that doesn't want to collect sales tax: the owners of the Richmond District's venerable Green Apple Books also protests the current scheme by which their customers must pay a combined 8.5% in state and local fees.
And Green Apple launched a petition drive, hosted by the website change.org, to convince Sacramento to honor their request.
"We should be exempt too, because we think it would increase sales," said Kevin Ryan a co-owner of the store.
Ryan said Green Apple was inspired by the actions of Amazon.com, which has spent $3 million toward putting an initiative on June 2012 ballot that would overturn a new law requiring on-line retailers to collect sales tax. California's Department of Finance estimates the tax would bring $200 million a year to state coffers.
Ryan said that, like Amazon, Green Apple is willing to spend big bucks on its signature gathering campaign.
"I'm prepared to put $70 toward this effort," he said. "I'll put it toward a Tea Party costume that I can wear when I'm collecting signatures."
A tri-corner hat would show his commitment to independence and freedom from tyranny, Ryan said.
He said he is prepared to wear the hat at least once, on Saturday in front of the store, though he concedes that may not be enough to collect the 504,760 signatures necessary to put a competing measure on California's June 2012 ballot.
Green Apple's petition cites these additional reasons that the store's customers should not have to pay sales tax.
* More than two-thirds of Green Apple’s staff do not have children and therefore should not really contribute tax money to public education;
* Most of the staff members do not own cars, so maintaining good roads isn’t that important. They could just walk;
* Statistics suggest that booksellers are 36% less likely to use emergency services than antiques dealers;
* Although many of the staff at Green Apple do in fact enjoy state and local parks, they sort of think someone other than the bookstore’s customers should pay to maintain them.
© The Bay Citizen, 2012
nandro n
Well the difference, Ryan, is that Amazon is not doing business in California. Their headquarters is in Seattle. Their warehouse for drop shipment to CA customers is in Nevada. It is conducting transactions on the Internet. Its a little different than having a business in CA selling to individuals in CA.
Bill Parent
" . . . Amazon is not doing business in California." Huh?
Sarah Kelly
Great answer Bill. Amazon has done every single thing they possibly can to get out of just collecting sales tax. Sales tax will not hurt their competitive advantage that much! I love Green Apple Book's response. Amazing! I hope that other businesses will stand up and show how unfair Amazon is being to the state. They should be partially responsible to giving back to our state.
John D
I am siding with Amazon for primarily one reason. I am NOT an enabler! What I understand an enabler to be is a person who helps perpetuate addictive habits of another. The state of California has shown NO willingness to curb its addiction to ever increasing budgets. If it were a normal person who had the spending habits of this state, he or she would have car payments, house payments, cable TV payments, wireless phone payments, credit card payments, and would be signing up for gym memberships and time shares, then telling their employer they needed a raise because they couldn't afford things on their current salary. I think it is time for "tough love" for Cal - no more revenue or new taxes until the State can find a way to function with their existing revenue stream. Then if they can raise employment - income tax receipts will go up as likely will sales tax receipts. But to simply raise taxes because the state desparately needs the funds (as they claim) will NOT correct the budgeting process.
rob bregoff
John, you are not an enabler. You're facing higher sales tax because the Feds aren't collecting enough revenue to pay for all those luxuries you've come to expect, like someone to come over and put out your house fire, or an inspector for the hamburger that you eat that doesn't contain e-coli, this time.
The high local taxes we pay are enabling the merely rich and mega-rich to continue enjoying their tax cuts, because everyone knows that creates jobs, right? Just look at all the jobs! When have the rich been taxed less? When have we had so many jobs?!? See-It makes good sense! in fact that theory is working so well, we should probably just end taxes completely.
It isn't a question of CA needing "tough love." It's the strategic job producing program that the Fed has enrolled our state in. Those jobs will be here soon, I know they will.
California would be wise to secede from the USA and create its own well-funded little empire. We've got computers, bio-tech, and Hollywood. We already own the world. Let the christians and tea-baggers rot in hell.