CEI Today: Internet sales tax, apples and pesticides, and European austerity

TAXING THE INTERNET – JESSICA MELUGIN

CEI Slams Senate Vote on Marketplace Fairness Act

Senators crossed a dangerous line today when they voted to approve the dubiously named Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 743). CEI policy analyst Jessica Melugin criticized the measure.

“It’s alarming the Senate would pass an unprecedented expansion of state tax authority without holding a single hearing on the legislation. This legislation will raise compliance costs for online retailers, reduce healthy downward pressure on tax rates, tax online retailers for services they cannot use, increase consumer privacy concerns, remove political accountability for tax authorities and create new inequities between bricks-and-mortar and online businesses.”

PESTICIDES – ANGELA LOGOMASINI

The Washington Times: Nutritious Apples, Poisonous Claims

Exaggerated pesticide warnings could scare us from a healthy diet

Eat fewer apples, strawberries and grapes, and more corn, onions and pineapples, and you’ll protect yourself and your children from “toxic” pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group’s 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. This advice, however, is nothing more than dangerous hogwash.

EUROPEAN “AUSTERITY” – MATTHEW MELCHIORRE

Separating European Austerity Fact and Fiction

Rarely a week goes by without mention in the media of European governments’ failure to restore economic growth through “savage” budget cuts. There is only one problem with that narrative: It is not true. Government austerity is nowhere to be found in Western Europe—and neither is prosperity. But both are present in the oft-ignored east, as Estonia is outperforming its West European neighbors and likely will continue to do so in the future. Why? Because Estonia is the only Euro Zone country to implement real spending cuts and tax reform that does not involve squeezing more revenue out of an economy in recession. America should take note: Real austerity works. Fake austerity does not.