Valdosta students push for tax-free textbooks

VALDOSTA - Some Valdosta State students were outraged when they went to the school bookstore on the sales-tax holiday only to find it was closed because of an upgrade to the computer network system. <br> <br> So, they bombarded the Valdosta Daily Times&#39; Rant and Rave line. One caller claimed the school was stealing money from its students by keeping the store closed. <br> <br> Another caller wanted to know why all the university&#39;s offices were open except the bookstore where students are ``forced to pay outrageous prices.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The kicker: textbooks were never on the list of tax-exempt items. <br> <br> While the students were left wiping the egg off their faces, the bookstore went ahead and offered its own sales-tax holiday on August ninth. <br> <br> School spokeswoman Thressea Boyd said, ``They could come in and buy the t-shirts, clothing under 100 dollars, and buy any school supplies, everything on the list.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The students still had to pay taxes on their textbooks, but House bill 483 got some increased support. The bill, sponsored by the Student Advisory Council, seeks to end sales taxes on textbooks. <br> <br> Boyd said the bookstore was closed on Friday, August second to upgrade its point-of-sale register system. The store is not open on Saturdays.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/191427