There is an interesting war going on between Amazon and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has decided that Amazon really is a threat and is staging a campaign to protect “Main Street” vendors (you know, the ones that Wal-Mart put out of business) from the rapacious and exploitive practices of web retailers like Amazon who wickedly avoid paying taxes. Legally, but wickedly.

The convinced California – long known to be a staunch ally of Wal-Mart and a supporter of Wal-Mart’s corporate goals – to pass a law requiring internet vendors to pay tax. So Amazon flat out stopped partnering with anyone selling out of California. Amazon will make no shipments from California, and therefore not be subject to California’s laws.

But Amazon would like to ship from California, so they got a referendum going where they try to get enough voters to sign up in support of overturning California’s law that it is done so. This referendum thing is one of the best things California has got going, because if the legislators get too corrupt the people can simply make the law themselves.

Oh, wait, that would threaten the power of the legislators! Good thing there is a secret emergency escape clause that allows the legislators to ignore the people forever and ever if the matter is urgent, such as taxing Amazon!

Soon you will be safe from accidentally forgetting to self-report and self-pay taxes. You can rest your fretful mind knowing that you will get taxed no matter what. Government is for the common good, and you’re special, so don’t go expecting anything.

Parcel carriers are penalizing customers who attempt to use consultants to negotiate lower rates.

This is flagrantly anti-competitive.

I don’t think the government should be involved, however. Parcel freight customers are choosing to allow carriers to overcharge them. They are aware of what is happening (so it is not fraud) and they can always accept the higher cost of working with another organization–forming their own logistics network, or using USPS.

But the freight carriers are pretending this is not collusion, it’s just coincidence:
“At an industry conference in late 2009, UPS and FedEx executives went public with their intent to minimize their dealings with consultants. In separate internal policy memos the following spring, they codified that intent, essentially forcing shippers to negotiate directly with them or risk having their contracts canceled and all the pricing benefits associated with the contract eliminated.”