For the past three years, Marilyn Bess has operated MS Philly Organic, a small, low-traffic blog that features occasional posts about green living, out of her Manayunk home. Between her blog and infrequent contributions to ehow.com, over the last few years she says she’s made about $50. To Bess, her website is a hobby. To the city of Philadelphia, it’s a potential moneymaker, and the city wants its cut.
In May, the city sent Bess a letter demanding that she pay $300, the price of a business privilege license.
“The real kick in the pants is that I don’t even have a full-time job, so for the city to tell me to pony up $300 for a business privilege license, pay wage tax, business privilege tax, net profits tax on a handful of money is outrageous,” Bess says.
Apparently even a cat blog would be subject to a fee. Do these politicians even know what a blog is?
Found by Eddie DaRoza.
This doesn’t surprise me at all-Pennsylvania is full of warped people, especially politicians. And no-I don’t think they have a clue what a blog is-for the most part they’re all clueless.
She was selling stuff… that’s all they see, and to operate a ‘business’ you need a license in their little ‘town’.
It’s that simple.
I’m glad I never sold tshirts or some other nonsense.
Remember big brother is watching….
Look, money for these “valuable government services that we all want” has to come from somewhere. We must all pay our “fair share”. This portion belongs to the city. It is”their money”.
A public service announcement brought to you by your friendly city tax board.
Accumulate enough information and you can go mining for revenues. I wonder how many hours and dollars were expended in the effort to track down all these little fish.
Wait a minute, this blog can be seen in Philadelphia, right? Do you have a license?
Resist. Simple as that.
Here in San Francisco, a simple expired meter parking ticket is $55.00.
That’s a hell of a lot of money for somebody on a fixed income, struggling to make ends meet.
I had a chance to challenge the head of the metropolitan transportation district on tickets when the board was talking of raising them again. Instead of admitting that the city uses them for a revenue stream, and needs people to constantly get tickets, and, in fact, the parking regulations, (8 minutes for 25 cents), is designed to produce tickets, he claimed they are solely meant to make people “turn over” parking places so merchants can do business. I asked him, then, why they kept getting raised year after year.
“Isn’t $30 enough incentive? Don’t you think $55 is excessive and greedy?”
He smiled and turned away. Asshole bureaucrat.
Want to make some real money?
TAX E-MAIL! FOOD/WATER? WEB SERVERS?
Some blogs are clearly a business… most are not.
It’s a blurry area but I understand where the city of Philadelphia is coming from.
Of course conservatives think that businesses should have no regulations whatsoever – laws are only for the little people. I strongly disagree.
One compromise is that one-person, income-generating blogs should come under freelancing regulations — like any freelance writers.
But if a blogger hires staff, then it’s a business.
Of course, ad-free blogs should just be un-regulated free speech.
Proxy server. Screw ‘em.
More fodder for political blogs who are not friendly towards the current administration and congress.
I thought that you only had to license bloggers if you walked them in public.
Anyone here warming up to the Tea Party folks yet? What will it take?
Progressives run Philly…nuff said.
If it moves, tax it.
If it stops moving, subsidize it.
And people wonder why liberal policy doesn’t work.
Don’t ask me what I want it for…
Taxman!
I’ll yank your server pull a 404.
Taxman!
Cos’ I’m the taxman, yea I’m the taxman.
Cursor_
So does this mean that bloggers will be afforded the same protections as the mainstream media.
#11 – Sparky_One,
Good one!! Probably need to get ‘em rabies shots as well.
I am quite sure the law is unconstitutional…freedom of the press is unqualified…no license or permits required.
This is simple, pay the $300. Then write off your ISP bills, computer, all expenses with regards to ‘research’ of posts. Oh and pay yourself from the company. You can do that for years and bring your income tax down to next to nothing. If they want the nuclear strike let them receive the fallout.
#19 In California there is a $500 minimum tax you pay even if losing money.
Who knows what other can of worms that opens up.
I’d post a few opinion pieces, perhaps join the jornolisters and get White House Talking points and call it news…
Then President Hoover Obama will bail you out.