Raleigh’s ‘red light district’ apparently runs through Jones Street
I’m not talking about traffic lights. Think AMSTERDAM.
What roared into Raleigh as a ‘conservative revolution’ is starting to look more and more like a fire sale at a brothel. There’s clearly no serious agenda for the GOP majority on Jones Street. Relieving taxpayers of the burdens of regulation, taxation and government in general has fallen by the wayside in favor of kissing on the mouth manipulating the gears of government to pay back high-dollar donors.
A very generous PAC representing beer and wine wholesalers is having some success in blocking the expansion of some craft brewers and star
tups. I guess the Grand Ol’ Party is no longer the voice of entrepreneurs and small business.
In the Senate, an effort is gaining steam to force Internet-based businesses to start collecting sales tax. (I thought we had a surplus. Why are we still trying to suck more money out of the economy?) Jerry Tillman, who represents Moore County, is at the heart of this effort. As more and more states take this route, you’re going to force startup home-based businesses like the old lady down the street who sells crafts on eBay — who can’t afford an army of accountants like Belk can — to become tax collectors in multiple states or face bankruptcy, litigation or o
ther forms of pure bureaucratic wrath. Proponents like to mouth platitudes about ‘fairness.’ In reality, it’s a ‘happy ending’ resulting from whoring oneself and oneself’s vote out to the Big Retail lobby.
Meanwhile, Jason Saine (R-Tom James Co.) is introducing a bill to have the secretary of state’s office regulate fantasy football leagues. Really? Supposedly this is aimed at controlling the influence of Big Gambling. Actually, it’s a sop thrown to lobbyists FOR Big Gambling. (To kill off competition.) And, in reality, it can be turned against you and your buddies’ small-time fantasy football competitions if this thing actually gets off the ground. 
Remember, folks with the R next to their name are not necessarily your friend. Many of them love the perks that come with being in charge. Many of them love all of this sleazy cash that comes with selling your soul. Many of them will sell you out just as quick as the guys and gals with the Ds next to their name will.
Hey, what is wrong with a politician being for sale to the highest bidder? We in the hard core environmental movement have already demonstrated the impact of waving a few Benjamins around Jones Street. A lot of ;your Republicans come running no matter who is doing the waving. That is helping to preserve President Obama’s green energy legacy, and it is a model for others to use, too. Jason Saine and Jerry Tillman are already bought and paid for by our hard core environmental movement to support the Obama green energy agenda, so why should they not also sell their services to others?
Oh, and we do not care how these guys spend the money we shove at them. Thousands of dollars of fancy clothes, a trip to the Bahamas, junkets all over the county – who cares as long as they stay bought.
Move on. Northing to see here.
AND it looks like the House is also pushing this agenda by going after Internet based fantasy sports. http://www.wral.com/state-seeks-to-regulate-fantasy-sports-operators/16577204/ I can see HB 279 merged with S 0081.
EVERY DAMN ONE IF THEM IN RALEIGH ARE CORRUPT AND WILL PEDDLE THEIR ASSES FOR A DOLLAR……THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE A CAREER POLITICAN…..TERM LIMITS WOULD STOP MANY WHORES FROM GETTING RICH OFF TAX PAYERS MONEY
Jerry Tillman is a poster boy for term limits. He has been in Raleigh too long and has gone over to the dark side. There are active Tea Party groups in both Randolph and Moore counties. Someone needs to organize a conservative primary challenge.
Tillman is now little more that a rent boy for the special interests.
This internet sales tax represents big internet businesses trying to stamp out their smaller competitors who do not have the ability to juggle tax collection for 50 states, with many counties in each of those states even having different taxes. It is the Amazons of the world trying to put their Mom and Pop competitors out of business. That is NOT good for the consumer OR for free enterprise.
Not only has Tillman gone to war against the internet shoppers, he has also gone to war against the electric ratepayers and the taxpayers with his also being a rent boy for Big Solar, which is a massive ripoff of both the taxpayer and the electric ratepayers.
Tillman was once a man of principle, but not anymore. He needs to go.