LTE: Trump vs. Amazon

Regarding “President attacks Amazon again, this time about taxes” (Page B7, Friday), President Trump hit the nail right on the head when he stated that Amazon and the companies that sell through them “pay little or no taxes to state & local governments…and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business” as a result.

Any Amazon customer can prove this for themselves. Simply look at the history of your purchases on your Amazon accounts page: Less than 20 percent of purchases will show any sales tax, and frequently only a small percentage of what is due.

This is particularly harmful to states like Texas with a high sales tax. It is also harmful to local economies that rely on thriving local businesses for a tax base. This is theft, and theft is a crime. It's time for local and state governments to start treating it as such.

Pete Smith, Cypress