While some governors and mayors are fighting the problem of untaxed Internet sales by lobbying Congress or simplifying sales-tax codes, Mayor Nick Blase of Niles, Illinois, is taking a different tack: He's running ads to discourage constituents from shopping on the Internet.
The idea is to let residents of the Chicago suburb know that Internet sales--and the local revenue losses that accompany such tax-free transactions--could force localities to cut services or raise taxes.
So far, it's unclear whether the commercials, which have aired on the local TV cable system, have had much effect. But at least they got people's attention, says David Bennett, executive director of the Chicago area's Northwest Municipal Conference.
Bennett is helping organize a wider effort which may include an interactive Web site. The site would offer citizens a sample e-mail that they can customize and send to their federal representatives urging them to end the moratorium on Internet sales taxation.
Karen Bushy, president of the Village of Oak Brook, is not sure the advertising approach is the right one. She says she'd be laughed out of town if she tried to diss the Internet. At the same time, she sees the community need to keep local businesses in operation. After all, she points out, "You don't see dot-com companies on the backs of Little League shirts."
