John Burton refuses to use his Kindle

I thought the whole Amazon online sales tax debate had pretty much blown over in California, following a September compromise in which the Seattle online retailer dropped plans to push for a referendum.

Nonetheless, The Daily Show’s John Oliver uses the contentious debate as a springboard into California’s referendum process.

Foul-mouthed John Burton, chairman of the Democratic Party in California, succinctly describes the system as “totally f***ed up.” And then he turns his salty language on Amazon in a hilarious rant, which you can read and watch below.

Burton: “Why the **** should Amazon skate when we have a state where we are shutting down schools, shutting down hospitals, firing teachers, firing cops, firing firemen, screwing mental health people — because they don’t want to have a god damned sales tax like everybody else.”

Oliver replied in his classic deadpan: “It is the American dream. You work hard. You make millions, then you can have a voice.”

Burton: “You got to be kidding me.”

Oliver: “It is what this country is built on.”

Burton: “My daughter gave me a Kindle for my birthday present, and I will not use it because of these god damned people at Amazon. I go to my bookstore, buy a god damned book, and sit and read it. It is that simple. I can read it taking a crap, as opposed to looking at a Kindle or a computer taking a crap.”

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.