 n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to swhx7
Re: Said it before said by swhx7:Taxes aren't just to pay for the immediate costs of things. They pay for the whole infrastructure of society. In the case of telecom, it's not just the wires, it's also the education that enables people to deal with tech and benefit from it; police to stop thieves taking the copper; all the other government services that help us enjoy peaceful and beneficial lives - roads, utilities, fire departments, courts, military, etc. - even if they are only indirectly related to the particular goods or services. Except we have property taxes for schools and roads, utilities, fire departments and courts. Military comes out of income taxes. The broadband tax is nothing more than a additional money grab to line the pockets of the politicians. It is not like the tax will be plowed back in to the network. No, it will go to all of the other B$ or frienly pols want to spend it on. Plus we already have the USF which is supposed to cover many of the infrastructure costs and we know what success that has been. |
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 swhx7Premium
join:2006-07-23
Elbonia
·RoadRunner Cable
| Some taxes are specifically allocated to users of a government-provided services that are relate to what is taxed - for example gas taxes for roads, property taxes for schools. The relationship is never exact (e.g. residences are owned by childless people as well as parents of kids in schools), but it's close enough to seem fair to most people.
Other taxes are general-purpose and this category includes sales taxes. Internet is a service sold in the state and should be subject to state sales tax like other services (or not, if the state taxes only goods and not services).
The fact that taxpayer subsides that were supposed to build out broadband and make it faster, etc. were sucked off to profits instead, is a separate issue. Let's get rid of corporate welfare. The "last mile" should be a public utility to which telcos and cable could get wholesale access for fees to the city or state, and on which they could then offer service on a competitive basis. |
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 John GaltForward, MarchPremium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
kudos:2 | »Broadband Reports: Interview
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John GaltForward, MarchPremium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
kudos:2 | For your convenience...
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A is A |
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| reply to swhx7
said by swhx7:Some taxes are specifically allocated to users of a government-provided services that are relate to what is taxed - for example gas taxes for roads, property taxes for schools. The relationship is never exact (e.g. residences are owned by childless people as well as parents of kids in schools), but it's close enough to seem fair to most people. Other taxes are general-purpose and this category includes sales taxes. Internet is a service sold in the state and should be subject to state sales tax like other services (or not, if the state taxes only goods and not services). The fact that taxpayer subsides that were supposed to build out broadband and make it faster, etc. were sucked off to profits instead, is a separate issue. Let's get rid of corporate welfare. The "last mile" should be a public utility to which telcos and cable could get wholesale access for fees to the city or state, and on which they could then offer service on a competitive basis. That does NOT stop the state a federal governments from siphoning off tax receipts from where they are supposed to go to where they ultimately go. |
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