Shoppers on WebCam Fleeing High Sales Taxes

(Concord, New Hampshire) After New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch signed a bill mandating that the state not release information on customers traveling from Massachusetts to shop in his state, a flood of Bay Staters crowded highways for New Hampshire's no-sales-tax stores. And, all the bargain-hunters are now caught on a live-feed webcam.

A Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate is tracking shoppers to see if New Hampshire businesses are taking Bay State sales tax dollars.

Republican Christy Mihos has set up a camera that links to his Web site a streaming video of every car crossing the state border into Salem's Route 28 retail strip where shoppers pay no sales tax. This brings attention to the Massachusetts sales tax that on Aug. 1 will increase by 25 percent, from 5 percent to 6.25 percent.

Naturally, the disparity in tax rates between adjacent states will boost the economy in New Hampshire while stunting growth in Massachusetts.