The Democrats’ “Amazon Tax” has put them on the defensive in Colorado’s legislature where the Republican minority is demanding that the anti-small business tax be repealed immediately. Tax and spend Democrats are trying to blame Amazon, not their tax, for dropping its Colorado affiliates because of the tax. As an Amazon customer who’s never bought anything on Amazon.com through an affiliate, I really don’t care. As a retired small business owner who was an Amazon affiliate and found the relationship worthless, I really don’t care. As a small-government conservative, I find it amazing that Colorado Democrats are so willing to offend Colorado’s small business owners and their workers. Why are the Democrats so willing to tag themselves as the anti-small business party? Are Democrats and their union supporters trying to help big businesses by driving the mom and pop shops out of business? Are they just trying to put more people on unemployment so they can pretend to help them with more expensive unemployment benefits? Please click on the headline to see my questions about the tax, Amazon and affiliates:

Does the state have the resources to audit thousands of affiliates and the companies like Amazon that have affiliates? I doubt it.

Do affiliates produce that much business for Amazon? Some may. Most don’t. My wild guess is that affiliates programs, which are common, produce very little business for affiliates or the companies that have affiliates. What affiliation programs do is build loyalty for Amazon among its affiliates. My guess is that affiliation programs are obsolete.

Are affiliates worth the trouble and cost that Colorado wants to impose on Amazon and companies that have affiliates? No.

Do affiliates really make that much money from Amazon and other companies that have affiliates? Some may. Most don’t.

Will Amazon lose Colorado customers without affiliates? No.

Will Amazon’s customers be hurt if their customers go directly to them instead of through affiliates? No.

Do “affiliates” include businesses that sell their stuff through Amazon as opposed to those that direct business to Amazon from their web sites? Not sure.