But should one have to pay this sales tax?

The thinking for has always been that the state is losing revenue that it needs to pay for services, etc. Which I understand. But the thought I had today was how much I avoid shopping at stores like Babys R Us because I drive all that way, burning fossil fuels, adding greenhouse gases into the air, using up city streets, state highways and interstates all to find a store which doesn’t have what I am looking for. So if I don’t make that journey, aren’t I saving the various forms of government hard and soft costs to deal with that added strain I place on the infrastructure and environment?

But what about the “cardboard commerce” and all of its overhead? Well, cardboard is supposedly one of the most recycled and re-used materials, so perhaps it’s not as much of a cost as the plastic bags that many of these stores add to the world. What about the transportation infrastructure? Well, properly used, I would imagine that a UPS truck delivering all of these packages is like commuters using a train or bus – better than individual cars. Plus, as with most transportation fleets these days like taxis, buses, etc. they are more likely to use non-gasoline alternatives.

So perhaps the savings to the infrastructure and environment mean that I am decreasing my burden on the governments around me and thus perhaps I don’t need to pay as much of the taxes for those goods I am getting in a slightly better, more efficient way.

I don’t know the numbers. Your thoughts?

What can one expect? One or two individuals, no matter how much training, are at the mercy of time, patience, etc.

Which made me think of all the press about the “wisdom of the crowds” and wondered if that might not fit here. How about the plane departure area for each flight be a large oval, with all of the passengers who’ve gone through the “screening” sitting around the edge, watching each new person come in. They all closely scrutinize each new person. The crowd gets to decide whether someone is allowed through (and onto the plane). The crowd decides whether someone has to take off their shoes, open their bags, etc.

That crowd should be better suited and capable of figuring out who needs to be given a closer look, no?