Hot, Hot, Hot!

The absolute high in Hidden Meadows (Boulder Knolls Observatory) yesterday was 106.5 degrees, but the TV says that the “official Escondido” temperature (US Weather Bureau) was 111

(Boy, that is hot! Either number!)

But more importantly, it again demonstrates that our 1,500 foot elevation in Hidden Meadows is a temperature mitigating elevation.

Of course, at these temperatures it makes little difference – except for bragging rights!

Unpaid Tax Collectors

I had an interesting phone call this morning by someone representing “California Retailers,” complaining that they were being hurt by internet retailers who can undersell California retailers because the internet does not always collect California sales tax.

I gently suggested that perhaps California Retailers might want to get THEIR state’s sales taxes reduced, rather than making internet retailers collect for the State of California!

Having been a California Retailer, and acted as (Unpaid) Tax Collector for the State of California. I have sympathy for retailers. They have trouble just staying in business.

Competition is good! The way to compete is to reduce the delta between the two, but the way to do that is to REDUCE the higher cost, not raise the lower cost.

We all realize that the California Legislature is unlikely to ever reduce any taxes, anywhere, anytime. I also realize that there is growing pressure to get all internet retailers to act as unpaid tax collectors for the states – and that, since ALL politicians want more taxes than fewer taxes, that will be the end game.

But we should resist as long as possible.