Affiliates in Hawaii are trying to convince Governor Lingle to veto Hawaii HB1405, the bill that would force out of state merchants to collect and remit sales tax. Dean Takamine is leading the way and is taking active measures to see if he can halt HB1405. Dean has organized a Ning social network called Hawaii Affiliate Tax. I urge all affiliates from Hawaii to join his efforts. Dean has met with Senator Fukunaga and a lobbyist from Amazon. As I mentioned here a few months back, Amazon and other merchants have indicated that they will terminate affiliates from Hawaii.

As I mentioned in a couple of earlier posts, time is running out in Hawaii. Affiliates need to speak out now.  If you think working on stopping the passage of a bill is hard wait until you see how hard it is to work on a repeal. The battle to repeal a law, especially one that generates revenue, is extremely difficult.

According to her website, Governor Lingle welcomes input on pending legislation. Although I am in NY I have sent her my thoughts. My thoughts are based on experience. As a New York affiliate my business was destroyed last year by the Internet tax law that was passed here. My story is similar to that of thousands of other NY affiliates, the bulk of whom are now silent, the bulk of whom have moved on.

I wish Dean and all affiliates in Hawaii the best. If I can help in any way please let me know. You have my support and my voice.

When I created this website I simply wanted to share my perspective on various issues as an affiliate from New York. With the exception of the impact from the NY tax law and the resulting decision of merchants to terminate NY affiliates, my experiences are probably similar to an affiliate from any where else. In spite of that similarity, the opinions and musings I offer here are simply mine. I do not profess to speak for all affiliates.

Although sparked by the recent events in NY, there are other reasons behind the existence of this site. I believe that more affiliates need to have their voices heard. Affiliates need to stand up and speak out. We need to voice our opinions.  I don’t believe that there can be just one voice; we all need to be heard. We need to help define the direction the industry is going. Affiliates cannot leave it up to just a few.

We need to stand up for fair and ethical treatment and practices. We need to not only help define the direction the industry takes, we need to improve our standing within the industry. The only way we can accomplish that is by making our voices heard.

Today I participated in a conference call organized by Haiko de Poel Jr., of ABW. There were about 30 participants on the call. We discussed several issues in the affiliate industry; NY affiliate tax, the PMA and the CJ class action settlement. One of the other topics discussed was that affiliates need to have a voice. There is a new forum called Affiliate Voice and I urge everyone to go ahead and let their voices be heard.

We need to be in control of our business so be sure to stand up and be heard.  Our future depends on it.

It is always nice when you can find something positive in a bad situation. One of the positive things is that we get to see how others step up and offer their help. One of the positives in this whole NY tax nightmare is the addition of a special session at the upcoming Affiliate Summit East 2008 .

As the list of merchants opting to terminate NY affiliates grew, I felt there was a need to address the NY tax situation on a much larger scale. Talking on forums, blogging and meeting as small groups is both productive and fine but I really feel we also need to deal with it on a larger scale. We need to attract attention to the issue and make sure everyone understands the impact of both the law and the reactions of merchants.

Most of us can only imagine the amount of work it takes to organize and run a large event like Affiliate Summit. Events of that magnitude are complicated, planned in advance and it is not easy to just add on. Although it was just two months away, on May 30 I asked at ABW about the possibility of adding a special NY tax issue session at the Affiliate Summit East 2008 that was to take place in Boston, Massachusetts August 10-12. Within hours Shawn Collins agreed. I was surprised that it could be added on such short notice. We are grateful that Shawn Collins and Missy Ward, founders of Affiliate Summit, are making it possible. This special session should be of interest to many. While it is currently a NY issue, other states are keeping a close eye and may soon follow. The NY tax issue also impacts more than just affiliates. The effects flow up the chain.

The special session is a panel discussion and will address the NY tax law, the impact that it has made and possible solutions. I am proud to be involved in the panel discussion and I look forward to a productive session.

Affiliate Summit is organized and hosted by Shawn Collins and Missy Ward. It is the leading affiliate conference and is a worthwhile event for affiliates, merchants, networks and anyone in the affiliate marketing business. I urge everyone to attend the Summit in Boston.

Affiliates and merchants from around the world attend the three day Summits that are held twice a year in the United States. They are also adding additional one day events. Last year a third conference, a one day event was held in London. This year another one day event is scheduled for October in New York.

The Summits are a great opportunity for everyone in the affiliate industry. Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience the Summit has something to offer. It is a mix of educational sessions, networking and social events. It is wonderful to see affiliates of all levels, merchants, networks and program managers come together sharing opinions, ideas and suggestions. It’ll also be one of the few places where everyone you talk to will actually understand what you do for a living.