Shame works

Posted at 2:21 PM on May 28, 2008 by Bob Collins (5 Comments)

The Minnesota Department of Revenue said today it has collected $124,000 since it posted the names of business tax deadbeats on its Web site a few weeks ago.

The list shows businesses that collected sales taxes from customers, but did not turn the money over to the state.

Browse the list here.

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Comments (5)

I contend that a lot of the problems we have in society today arise from completely excising the idea of public shame. That's a controversial viewpoint to be sure, but there it is.

Think back to a time when an unwed pregnancy, for example, was something to be ashamed of. While I don't think that a relaxing of stringent mores in that realm wasn't warranted, I remain unconvinced that a Federal tax policy of rewarding it is appropriate or beneficial to society either. Permissiveness can be over done.

I think that in many cases, the pendulum has swung much too far in the direction of non-judgemental acceptance and society in general has suffered from it.

Posted by Daveg | May 29, 2008 9:55 AM

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//Think back to a time when an unwed pregnancy, for example, was something to be ashamed of.//

Out of curiosity, when did the idea of marriage first come about? Is there a record of the very first marriage?

I am an unwed mother and frankly you're right i should be shamed and spending the rest of my years working in a catholic laundry in ireland. SHAME ON ME!!!

Posted by c | May 29, 2008 10:10 AM

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I heard on MPR and read on the website that these businesses now have had their sales tax permits revoked. What does that mean exactly for the business? One of them is very near my house and they are still doing business.

Posted by Alex | May 29, 2008 10:18 AM

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i should be shamed and spending the rest of my years working in a catholic laundry in ireland.

No, that's what the second half of my sentence was intended to clarify. The stringent mores needed to be relaxed. Significantly.

That is not that same as saying that the resulting societal costs should be borne by the rest of us without comment when acceptance and tolerence goes so far as to cause other societal problems.

There's a middle ground that we long since passed through to get to the other extreme, and while this may have been a poor choice of example, plenty of others exist.

Posted by Daveg | May 29, 2008 11:32 AM

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/the resulting societal costs should be borne by the rest of us without comment when acceptance and tolerence goes so far as to cause other societal problems. /

I hear this all the time at the bars.

Posted by c | May 29, 2008 12:01 PM

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