Official Publication of the National League of Cities OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY
Volume 34, Number 31 | August 8, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE
www.nlc.org
PAGE 3

PAGE 3
The EITC Movement at Ten Years
PAGES 4-5
New Congress of Cities Format Offers
Something for Everyone
PAGE 6
Emerging Issues Column: Weigh the
Anchors, But Join Them Up

Budget Deal
Legislation Introduced to Allow Cities to
Becomes Law
Collect Taxes From Internet Sales

by Carolyn Coleman
by Lars Etzkorn
Following what members of
Congress described as a “needless-
ly dysfunctional partisan political
process,” the House, Senate and
President last week finally reached
an agreement that will reduce the
deficit and ensure that the United
States does not default on its debt
obligations — a default that would
have had a devastating effect on the
economy.

see page 8, column 1
Bills were introduced in both houses
of Congress last week to require the
collection of sales taxes by out-of-state
Internet sellers.
Both bills are titled the Main Street
Fairness Act (S. 1452 and H.R. 2701).
The bill was introduced by Sen. Richard
Durbin (D-Ill.) in the Senate and by
Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Peter
Welch (D-Vt.) in the House. The leg-
islation is co-sponsored by Sens. Tim
Johnson (D-S.D.) and Jack Reed (D-
R.I.) in the Senate and Rep. Heath
Shuler (D-N.C.) in the House.
Neither bill was introduced with
Republican co-sponsors.
“Consumers shouldn’t have to face
the burden of reporting all of their online
purchases,” Durbin said upon introduc-
tion of the legislation. “Main Street
retailers collect sales taxes on behalf of
consumers, why shouldn’t online retail-
ers do the same?”
“The Main Street Fairness Act would
not require a single penny in addi-
tional taxes to be paid that are not
already owed,” said David Hooks, chair
of NLC’s Finance, Administration and
“The Main Street Fairness Act would not require
a single penny in additional taxes to be paid
that are not already owed. It would help locali-
ties nationwide collect billions in taxes that are
already owed.”
—David Hooks, chair of NLC’s Finance, Administration and

Intergovernmental Relations Committee
and Homewood, Ala., council member.
“It would help localities nationwide col-
lect billions in taxes that are already
owed.”
NLC supports the bills, as they are
consistent with longstanding policy call-
ing to level the playing field between
brick and mortar and Internet retailers.
The bills are also supported by
Amazon.com Inc., the largest online
Internet retailer, which previously
opposed many state-specific attempts to
compel online retailers to collect state
sales tax.
“ Amazon.com has long supported a
simple, nationwide system of state and
local sales tax collection, evenhandedly
applied to all sellers, no matter their busi-
ness model, location or level of remote
sales,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice
president for global public policy.

see page 3, column 1
President Obama Recognizes NLC Leader
in Speech on Immigration

by Stacey Levitt

Newspaper Handling

In a recent speech to a national
audience, President Obama told the
poignant story of NLC Second Vice
President Marie Lopez Rogers, mayor
of Avondale, Ariz., who was born
the daughter of hard-working migrant
farm workers.
Mayor Rogers, the President
shared, was the first to attend college
in her family and now works at the
very site in Avondale where she and
her parents used to pick cotton, where
city hall currently stands.
President Obama lauded Mayor