Level playing field

Thumbs Up: Brick and mortar businesses — the ones you see on your Main Street, who employ people in town, and pay taxes in your community — have struggled to compete with online retailers for some time now. The Bon-Ton Stores is just one casualty of that struggle. Online retailers like Amazon have the edge in lower overhead costs, convenience and economy of scale. But they also had another advantage — they didn’t have to collect sales tax for items people purchased.

On Thursday the U.S. Supreme Court changed, that, clearing the way for states to require that sales tax be levied on online purchases.

This will help local businesses who will have a more level playing field, and states that stand to recoup billions of dollars in tax revenue.

State tourneys

Thumbs Up: Congratulations to the Sleepy Eye United Golf Team, which won the Minnesota State High School League Class A Boys Golf Title last week, and Ben Laffen of Sleepy Eye who won the Individual Title.

And congratulations as well to the Sleepy Eye Indians who took second in the Class A State Baseball Tournament last week.

The New Ulm Eagles soared high last week as well, taking third place in the State Class AAA Baseball tournament. Congratulations to them, and to all who competed in state competition last week.

High water

Thumbs Down: This has been a rainy, rainy month. Area farm fields are soggy messes in a lot of spots, the Cottonwood River keeps bobbing up and down over the flood level, and a lot of outdoor road construction is being hampered. The National Weather Service isn’t providing much help, with rain forecast throughout the weekend.

We’re not sure what good it will do, but we say ENOUGH already!