Licensing eBay Vendors: Say whaaaat

The Public Service Commission of the State of North Dakota has hatched a real doozie of a plot to trip up and tap private individuals who make a buck or two by selling their trinkets on eBay.

Turning the growing popularity of online auctions into a new source of state revenue, the commission seeks to regulate and restrict eBay selling by imposing a licensing requirement and charging a fee to get a "North Dakota Auctioneer's License". Two preconditions apply: each applicant must undergo special training at a state-approved auction school and must obtain a $5,000 surety bond. Other states are eager to jump on the bandwagon.

AMALGANATED PERSPECTIVES Editorial Comment: This is a textbook case of the government insinuating itself into yet another venue of individual enterprise by exerting control and financial leverage.
We say "NO!" to all legislative attempts to impose licensing requirements on online auction sellers. If you are a North Dakotan, please lobby your state government to back away from any such intention, and help prevent this precedent from being established. -

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