Some things are tough work. Like becoming an astronaut, finding the Higgs boson, or running a marathon. It’s also tough work to design an entirely new tax regime for the Internet.
Tackling tough jobs requires discipline, training and patience. Shortcuts may feel good, but they often lead to failure, embarrassment or can even get you hurt. Last week’s Senate vote on a non-binding resolution supporting a new Internet sales tax is a shortcut something akin to …rollerblading in a marathon. A finish line was ultimately crossed, but some folks looked pretty silly doing it and the victory cheer rings hollow.
Fortunately, last week’s debate included wisdom from Senators who understand that short-circuiting debate on such an important issue is bad policy. Senator Max Baucus reminded his colleagues that they were voting on a “revolutionary” proposal that raised more questions than it answered.
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