Philly requiring bloggers to pay $300 for a business license

[Wayne]

Turns out the city of Philadelphia is now requiring bloggers -- whether profiting or not -- to purchase a $300 business license yearly, then pay taxes on any income for the priviledge of blogging on the "free" Internet.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opini ... 64664.html

My take : $%#ING MORONS! I hesitate to say how I really feel about it.

Wayne

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

[...] city of Philadelphia is now requiring bloggers [...] to purchase a $300 business license yearly,

This is, on its face, ridiculous. Does council actually think that "blogging" is always a lucrative business? Surely there must be a income test when deciding if it constitutes a business. What if some incredibly agreeable person makes a habit of helping his friends move - is he in the moving business? Is he in the moving business if one of his more well off friends gives him twenty bucks in gratitude?

On the other hand, if the blog were to be declared a business and you took all the deductions of a business (for the paying of the license, the percentage of your home that you use for office space, your internet connection and whatever else your accountant can figure out for you), I bet it wouldn't be too long before the IRS comes knocking on your door to tell you that what you are running is NOT a business.

I'm wondering if people aren't getting hit by collateral damage. I wonder whether there might be some blogs that were particularly irksome to city council, particularly critical, and that some councilors decided to whack 'em with a tax in retribution.

To say that these kinds of draconian measures are detrimental to the public discourse would be an understatement.

Which might actually be the point.

 

[Wayne]

To say that these kinds of draconian measures are detrimental to the public discourse would be an understatement.

Which might actually be the point.

Yep. Unlike my buddy Ltstanfo, I look at all these small "gimme your rights" as part of a bigger plan to erode the freedoms that we, as American citizens -- unlike the f*@(ing illegal mexican immigrants -- have always enjoyed.

 

[cecilia]

when are the tea baggers going to protest this??

 

[metalman]

Another great idea, from the party of the jackass

Philadelphia uses the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government, in whom executive authority is vested. Elected "at-large", the mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms under Philadelphia's home rule charter, but can run for the position again after an intervening term. The current city mayor, in office since January 2008, is Michael Nutter. All Philadelphia mayors have been members of the Democratic Party since 1952.

78% of registered voters in Philadelphia are Democrats.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

Another great idea, from the party of the jackass

Philadelphia uses the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government, in whom executive authority is vested.

Kind of like Cheney's theory of the Presidency, the idea of executive power residing with the President rather than the representatives and something he worked hard to put in place - right before this wonderous gift then fell into the lap of the Democrats.

 

[cecilia]

Another great idea, from the party of the jackass

Philadelphia uses the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government, in whom executive authority is vested.

Kind of like Cheney's theory of the Presidency, the idea of executive power residing with the President rather than the representatives and something he worked hard to put in place - right before this wonderous gift then fell into the lap of the Democrats.

cheney needs to be waterboarded

 

[metalman]

Another great idea, from the party of the jackass

Philadelphia uses the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government, in whom executive authority is vested.

Kind of like Cheney's theory of the Presidency, the idea of executive power residing with the President rather than the representatives and something he worked hard to put in place - right before this wonderous gift then fell into the lap of the Democrats.

Philadelphia:
Mayor, party of the jackass
City Council control, party of the jackass
78% of registered voters, party of the jackass

Philadelphia, a jackass utopia!!

Executive power residing with the President is discussed in Federalist Papers 67 to 77.
Federalist Paper #69: The Real Character of the Executive

The Federalist Papers are the interpretive source of the Constitution of the United States.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

Philadelphia:
Mayor, party of the jackass

Party, which you completely fail to appreciate over and over again, is not relevant. Concentration of power happens unless people act but generally power accrues to those with the money and the time and it is held by dividing the people so they fight against each other rather than for themselves.

Note:
The Federalist Papers are the interpretive source of the Constitution of the United States.

Can you point to me the relevant passages that say that the president is king and that the elected representatives fill a merely advisory role?

 

[cecilia]

why do politicians get the right to give themselves raises and set their salaries???

they are supposed to be public servants - the voter should set their salaries!

 

[faethor]

Wired has an article about this topic.

1) $300 lifetime fee or $50 per year is for all businesses even if they are freelancers. If you file a non-wage claim on your 1099 you are subject to this payment.

2) The tax is on any type of earnings. It's just not bloggers.

3) The tax is on any amount of earnings. Other cities have similar programs but typically have a minimum income before applied. Philly doesn't. So you might see a $300 request on that $20 you made.

4) And of course what's the problem here? The government and programs are lagging the change to the economy as new items such as the internet, blogging, and other active comes online.


IMO -- I think we all will be seeing taxes on internet activities. Communities lose bookstores and tax revenue as Amazon took over. I believe we'll see attempts to change the tax from point of sale (worked great in brick and motar days) to the point of purchase (your living room chair). Note: this isn't to say this is right or wrong it's just what I project will arriving over the next few years.

 

[metalman]

The NY Bagel Tax!
NY state has started enforcing a bizarre distinction in the tax laws which requires delis and food peddlers to impose a levy on sliced bagels -- even though there is no tax when the breakfast staple is sold whole.

While sliced bagels are subject to sales tax, a sliced loaf of bread at a bakery isn't, according to NY tax officials.