It's no secret our state is broke. To fill gaps in the budget, it's looking for new ways to generate revenue. That's why the state wants to tax your online purchases, and they're trying to force online giants like Amazon.com to help them in their quest.

The state is seeking detailed information about customer purchases as part of an effort to collect sales taxes on online purchases.

Such sales are largely untaxed, and the state says its tax receipts are falling as a result.

The ACLU says the state’s attempt to get customer information is unconstitutional because it violates Internet users’ rights to “free speech, anonymity and privacy.” The ACLU is intervening in a lawsuit brought by Amazon to stop the department of revenue from collecting personally identifiable information that could be linked to customer’s specific purchases on Amazon.

The the entire Charlotte Business Journal article, here.

Instead of mining the Internets for our personal information and telling corporations how to do business, the state could generate extra tax revenue by legalizing marijuana -- a tax smokers and growers alike are begging to pay. Not only will the state make more money, it will also save legal fees as well as the cost of housing these so-called criminals in our already packed jails. It will also help quell the violence in Mexico, caused by American's insatiable demand for the plant.

So, why aren't we seeing more movement on that front?