Tax-Free Weekend

Is it just me or do you see the stupidity in this tax-free weekend mumbo-jumbo? Every time I go online to order something, I get it tax-free anyway, many times with free shipping. I shop Amazon.com often because I'm obligated. Last Christmas I signed-up for the "Prime" membership which enables me to get items with the special "Prime" designation including free two-day delivery. I intended to take full advantage of the free trial, but as most folks do, I blew it and forgot to cancel before they charged me almost $100. Did I save money? Only if I use this "Prime" thing and nothing else until this year's Christmas.

I watched a 2007 Apple Computer documentary a few nights ago. Interviewed were several people camping outside an Apple store for as long as five days, anticipating the release of the first iPhone. What is it that makes people think they are getting an advantage when they lose five days of work waiting in some crazy line with a slew of other maniacs for a stupid cell phone?

The same goes for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I tried to join-in the festivities one year but came away with only a few DVDs and a headache. Standing in a line wrapped around Best Buy at three o'clock in the morning is costly for me--very, very expensive--especially for my body.

Brenda told me she heard a rumor that Congress is trying to make online shopping stores like Amazon pay retroactively for all of the gazillions of dollars in unpaid sales tax. I say fine. In fact, I will be glad to make a trade with Uncle Sam and the IRS: If they are willing to discontinue income tax in trade for a consumer tax on purchased items, I'd be ecstatic! I bet we'd close the gap on the deficit in short order!

But no, things don't go as easy as that. So the State of Tennessee ostensibly gives us a tax-free weekend (limited to certain products, mind you) at the end of summer to help families with back-to-school expenses and to stimulate the economy. I know the real reason is for the government to convince us that we can't live without their generosity.

I'll just continue to make my orders online and wait a few days for the big brown truck to squeal it's brakes at the curb in front of my house. From computer to curb with no taxes--every day of the year--now that's shopping!