FC: Net-tax panel says Congress should hold hearings on privacy

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35103,00.html

   Mixed on Taxes, Not Privacy
   by Declan McCullagh (declan () wired com)
   3:15 p.m. Mar. 21, 2000 PST

   DALLAS -- A federal panel that couldn't agree on Internet taxes
   managed to tell Congress to pass laws to protect Americans' privacy
   online.

   Nearly all members of an advisory commission on Tuesday afternoon said
   that the privacy implications of taxing electronic commerce are
   worrisome enough that Congress should hold hearings on the topic.

   In the morning session, a minority of commissioners -- peeved since
   they felt they were being repeatedly overruled by the rest of the
   panel -- abstained from the vote on the privacy proposal.

   But a few hours later, after they realized they were being viewed as
   Big Brother backers, an embarrassed crew of state and local government
   officials sheepishly asked if they could change their minds.

   [...]



http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35087,00.html

   Impasse at the Net Tax Corral
   by Declan McCullagh (declan () wired com)
   1:00 p.m. Mar. 21, 2000 PST

   DALLAS -- Closed-door negotiations between pro-tax and anti-tax
   proponents broke down Tuesday afternoon, leaving a federal commission
   with no recommendations to send to Congress about the future of
   e-commerce taxation.

   "We do not believe a consensus at this time is forming," said Governor
   James Gilmore (R-Virginia), the panel's chairman.

   Ever since Monday afternoon, members of the 19-person commission have
   been meeting to eke out a compromise that would garner the two-thirds
   majority required by law to make recommendations.

   The meetings didn't work. State and local government members, led by
   Governor Michael Leavitt (R-Utah), were unable to sway businesses to
   join their side.

   [...]

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