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Spanish American War Tax to End?
Only 108 years after the war did...
A three percent phone-line tax, originally intended to pay for the Spanish American War back in 1898, is still being collected by most wireless providers as the "federal excise tax". While Congress was trying for a while to broaden the tax so it included broadband connections as well, swirling rumors the past few weeks appear to indicate the Treasury Department is finally considering repealing the tax entirely. The government is apparently tired of fighting claims in court that they were misapplying the tax, and is discussing ways to compensate the $60 billion impact the tax elimination would have over the next five years.
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Sean8
join:2004-01-23
Toronto

Sean8

Member

Raise taxes elsewhere.

That's all they really have to do to fix the problem: raise taxes elsewhere. It'll be what happens, guarenteed.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

2 recommendations

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

The problem I have is that it was a tax for a reason. And, now they have the gall to talk about the $60 billion impact it will have to repeal it?

When will the American people wake up to this and boot these idiots out of office? The American people have been ripped off for years on this tax, obviously for an impact of $60 billion dollars, right? I guess the political way is when a tax is collected, it's collected for life? They can tax for a purpose and when that purpose is done they just "reapply...?"

The day they stop spending our money on items that allow them to part on our money, such as they ridiculously expensive "balls" they hold, or the $3,000 leather office chairs, of $20,000 office desks, and other crap they waste money on, as well as their first class airline tickets, 5 start hotel accommodations, expensive luxury cars, town car and limo service, and other waste, maybe then they can find that $60 billion.

These people are elected officials that were granted the privilege to serve US... the American people. Yes, I am ranting on about the $60 billion shortfall and the 3% tax, but this just opens up a can of other worms as well. It's all related and it needs to stop.

The feds need to start spending our money as it was intended and knock this kinda crap off.

The tax was there for a reason. When the reason is over, they need to stop crying foul that they need the money. It simply means that they were reapplying a tax to another situation that it was unlawful to be used for in the first place. Democrap, Repubes, it's all the same. Vote 'em out!

alanhdsl
Premium Member
join:1999-10-09
Phoenix, AZ

alanhdsl

Premium Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

said by fiberguy2:

The day they stop spending our money on items that allow them to part on our money, such as they ridiculously expensive "balls" they hold, or the $3,000 leather office chairs, of $20,000 office desks, and other crap they waste money on, as well as their first class airline tickets, 5 start hotel accommodations, expensive luxury cars, town car and limo service, and other waste, maybe then they can find that $60 billion.
Not even close. The big tickets in the Federal budget are military, Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the debt. Everything else is chump change. If you're serious about making cuts to the budget, you have to make big cuts in all of the above. Good luck with that platform.

The telecom tax was misapplied, but that really means that other taxes were being subsidised by it. Eliminating the tax without raising other taxes only means that the debt will grow, barring cuts to the items above.
Jamuka
join:2005-06-06

Jamuka

Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

This might be true, but if you start adding up all the other little stuff that certainly doesn't belong in the federal budget it WILL start to add up to a lot of money. I guarantee you that you could find $60 billion in waste (if not way more) without even touching military, social security, medicare, etc. so easily it isn't even funny. Programs that serve absolutely no purpose other than being big government jobs programs, pet projects, etc.

crazediamond
Maybe you shouldn't be so proud?
Premium Member
join:2002-01-19
Brooklyn, NY

crazediamond

Premium Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

not to nitpick but if you cut programs that add jobs, you're eroding the tax base and adding people to things like welfare :P

Jafo232
You Can't Spell Democrat Without Rat.
Premium Member
join:2002-10-17
Boonville, NY

Jafo232

Premium Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

said by crazediamond:

not to nitpick but if you cut programs that add jobs, you're eroding the tax base and adding people to things like welfare :P
It is early, but if I read this right, you think cutting this tax will cost jobs and therefore collect less money in taxes? They are GETTING their money from taxes. This doesn't make any sense. To follow your logic, all I have to do is cut my large intestine off at my asshole and jam it in my mouth and I will never have to worry about starving.
Methadras
join:2004-05-26
Spring Valley, CA

Methadras to Jamuka

Member

to Jamuka
said by Jamuka:

This might be true, but if you start adding up all the other little stuff that certainly doesn't belong in the federal budget it WILL start to add up to a lot of money. I guarantee you that you could find $60 billion in waste (if not way more) without even touching military, social security, medicare, etc. so easily it isn't even funny. Programs that serve absolutely no purpose other than being big government jobs programs, pet projects, etc.
at least you know where this tax came from and who it went to... there is currently $25 billion that is completely unaccounted for... and that was for last year alone... have a nice day...
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2 to alanhdsl

Premium Member

to alanhdsl
Oh, I COMPLETELY understand about the big ticket item spending. Still, like Jamuka stated, the little ones add up as well. In all honesty, the little ones bother me just as much, if not more, as the big ones do. Why is that?

1) It's more of a snub in the face of the american people. They are not there to party on the public troff. It is a PRIVELEDGE to serve the american people - they are not there to party and play high society "look at me, I'm important and I shuld be treated in a certain way".. in fact, they should be humbled when in most cases, they are not. If anyone knows Minnesota Law Makers and compared to Federal Congress, you'd see a start difference. our law makers make about $27 - 32k a year. Many of them have jobs.

2) These smaller expenses are pretty much pork and waste spending. I am not about spending public money for people we elected and ASKED us for jobs to have parties that would make hollywood choke on the bill.

3) Tell these single parents, working poor, and others in this line of class citizen that this chump change isn't anything. There are people that pay taxes each year that basically go to buy one leather padded office chair for the senate hearfing floor when that $3000 could have gone to buy them a better mean, much needed midication, a little cable or satellite TV for entertainment, or maybe allowed them to purchase something nice to wear vs. that used shirt from good will.

At least the 'pet projects' SOMETIMES have something worthwhile to show in the end. I was never a big fan of that multimillion dollar bridge in alaska for 50 people, but at least a bridge was built.

Yes, there is much waste in large amounts too in the way the military spends, and stuff, but social security? Medicare? Should we let these people die off and live in the street? Social security would be solvent if they would put the money back, for one, and medicare? Wait until you are 65 without medical insurance and make that statement again, ... ok?

I'd rather take care of those that helped build society for my generation and the weak vs these pompass spending bills that we have on bulll Sh*t items anyday. I would think a compassionate concervative would feel the same way.

By the way, cut off SS now and make people put money in themselves, etc.. and when they don't? Are we going to see a generation of homeless seniors.. ? You betchya! You think we will let them remain homeless? No way dude.. we will throw money at them in a crisis and it will cost even more from the pockets vs SS funds.

Think realistic. What we WANT and what HAS to happen are two different things.

oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA

oliphant to fiberguy2

Premium Member

to fiberguy2
Will never happen. Unfortunately we have an electorate that believes all the crap they see on TV and votes accordingly. Just look at the condition of California as an example of an idiot electorate gone way wrong.

shaner
Premium Member
join:2000-10-04
Calgary, AB

shaner to fiberguy2

Premium Member

to fiberguy2
said by fiberguy2:

The tax was there for a reason. When the reason is over, they need to stop crying foul that they need the money. It simply means that they were reapplying a tax to another situation that it was unlawful to be used for in the first place. Democrap, Repubes, it's all the same. Vote 'em out!
Wouldn't that also include Income Tax, since it was introduced to pay for WWI?
cptmiles2
Premium Member
join:2004-04-22
Swayzee, IN

cptmiles2 to fiberguy2

Premium Member

to fiberguy2
They have voted them out...at least 30 times since 1898.

AnonymousPerson
@optonline.net

AnonymousPerson to fiberguy2

Anon

to fiberguy2
I do not know. They did make them lose power though. The democrats were in power for 160 years. Hopefully it is only a matter of time until no democrat holds any public office. Until then, we can only hope.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

The democratic party of today is not even the same part of the 50's and 60's.... the republican party of today isn't even the same as they were back then either.. much has changed.
shadow520
join:2002-04-03
Warren, MI

2 edits

shadow520 to AnonymousPerson

Member

to AnonymousPerson
That's an assinine statement, considering that the current regime, republican controlled, has the highest spending on record! We are looking at the highest deficits in the history of the United States.

Ronald Reagan, ALSO a republican, signed some of the highest spending bills prior to this.

The point is, it doesn't matter. Repubrocrats - all of them. There is getting to be no difference between the parties - they ALL spend money that the gov't doesn't have.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

If you think my statement was assinine, then you have much to learn about history and politics. The democrat party has gone through MANY MANY changes.

JFK was a different face on the democrats that Jimmy Carter, or even Bill Clinton.

But again, if you think I am assinine, then there is now point in having a discussion with you on this topic because we won't agree.
shadow520
join:2002-04-03
Warren, MI

shadow520

Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

My reply was not to you, fiberguy. It was to the anonymous poster.

I agree that the Dems have changed, and it is not good, IMHO.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: Raise taxes elsewhere.

Ah... sorry.

BDSMerlin
Premium Member
join:2004-07-01
Glen Burnie, MD

BDSMerlin to Sean8

Premium Member

to Sean8
Well I saw a video on fox about government spending on things like 10 million on research for developing a Flush less toilet, 25 million on Fish Hactherys in Montana, then there is a Bridge in A town in Alaska with a population of 8000 the government wants to build for some 231 million to an Island of Gravina "bridge to nowhere" the 231 Million Gravina Bridge would replace a 7-minute ferry ride WTF.....I have just come up 266 million in government waste it is about time people start Screaming about the way there money is spent.

When we can come up with 1 trillion dollars for a war and my Friend has to buy his own Body armor and equipment to do the job they sent him to Iraq to do there and our schools fall apart and cut funds to after school programs There is something really wrong with this country!

slashman
Don't do it . ..
Premium Member
join:2003-10-01
Batavia, IL

slashman

Premium Member

Even if the government stops the tax

when will the telcos stop collecting it?

Darkflight
Stitch 626 LTE
join:2001-03-03
Rowland Heights, CA

Darkflight

Member

Re: Even if the government stops the tax

Either way its bout bloody time.. then we can argue with the telcos without having them use the excuse of the government for why they charge it..

shaner
Premium Member
join:2000-10-04
Calgary, AB

shaner

Premium Member

Re: Even if the government stops the tax

said by Darkflight:

Either way its bout bloody time.. then we can argue with the telcos without having them use the excuse of the government for why they charge it..
Yep, and then the carriers will just raise prices by 3% since so many people are used to paying that price every month. If it isn't in one pocket, it's in another.

rawgerz
The hell was that?
Premium Member
join:2004-10-03
Grove City, PA

1 edit

rawgerz

Premium Member

You know

Click for full size
From teletruth.org
Men paid for it with their lives already, there's no point in compensation.
quote:
The US lost 379 troops in combat and over 5,000 to disease. As a result of the war, Cuba would be declared independent in 1902.
That would be as pointless as the US paying England for the revolutionary war

oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA

oliphant

Premium Member

True

said by Ronald Reagan :
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidise it.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Don't worry, be happy

Why all the whining? You'd think that news of getting a tax cut and a probable tax rebate would be good news. But reading the posts here, you'd think this was all bad news.

Tax cut and rebate

Don't worry, be happy.

reub2000
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Evanston, IL

reub2000

Premium Member

Re: Don't worry, be happy

Somebody has to pay for an unjustified war based on bad evidence and supported by bad journalism, 108 years after the actual war!

Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium Member
join:2001-11-29
Verona, PA

2 edits

Combat Chuck to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

Why all the whining? You'd think that news of getting a tax cut and a probable tax rebate would be good news. But reading the posts here, you'd think this was all bad news.
It's a bad thing because there will be no real rebate, sure you may get a check but it'll be reclaimed elsewhere as the tax isn't being cut; it's just looking for somewhere else to hide.
quote:
and is discussing ways to compensate the $60 billion impact the tax elimination would have over the next five years.
I'll be happy when fairtax happens...which will be never because people like getting their yearly happy fun day refund check, making it easy to ignore the "new one" that is silently being "tore" with each paycheck.

CPUYODA
join:2003-01-25
Johnson City, TN

CPUYODA

Member

I wonder

How viable a new political party,based on reason and technical interests would be.

Say,one backed by EFF and anti RIAA,etc....

But what could we name ourselves?...

Technocrats

Fair-use-icans

Seriously,we do need new people in DC...

Unregistered User

Anon

Re: I wonder

I've also thought the same thing.

I will comment on one thing. Don't think of it as just an anti-RIAA party, think about reasonable copyright laws, such as not continuing to extend copyright over and over to benefit large corporations. I'm not in favor of the sharing of copyrighted material, so long as we have reasonable copyright laws that actually cause material to go into the public domain instead of constantly being given extensions by a corrupt Congress.

So, if you believe there should be a new political party, set up something. The first thing you need is a way to bring people together to discuss what you want out of this party. Get a basic site up, and make sure it has a discussion board and/or a mailing list. Then, promote it on sites like Slashdot, Digg, Reddit, etc.

If you think you might do it, post a reply here.

Good luck!
IanR
join:2001-03-22
Fort Mill, SC

IanR

Member

It's one way to make war financially profitable

1) Have a war
2) Create a Tax to "pay for that war"
3) Leave Tax for 108 years.
ossito16
join:2004-07-31
Whiting, IN

ossito16

Member

Redirect tax funds.

It would be nice if 100% of those funds were directed towards free training for adults looking to learn a new trade, maybe better there lifestyle. I also want to add that I am extremely pleased of the tone I am hearing lately in the forums. People do need to wake up and recognize what is being done to us daily. I hope people who post here at the forums spread that sentiment to others. Education has nothing to do with reading and writing, it is about spreading the right information. Things are going to change one way or the other. It will definitely get worse before it gets better. Just make sure you have a plan of action. Al- qaeda is going to seem like the boy scouts.

Dagda1175
join:2001-06-17
Goleta, CA

Dagda1175

Member

Re: Redirect tax funds.

said by ossito16:

Education has nothing to do with reading and writing, it is about spreading the right information.
*tear* Goebbels would be proud.

•••

whizkid3
MVM
join:2002-02-21
Queens, NY

whizkid3 to ossito16

MVM

to ossito16
quote:
Yeah, like that will EVER happen. PS. Dont hold your breath.
Yeah, but one can dream - its a long ride over the Whitestone or Throgs Neck Bridge - until that nasty $4.50 toll at the end. (You know the one, the temporary toll booth to pay off the price of the bridge.)
Techman21
join:2005-04-14
Richmond, VA

Techman21 to ossito16

Member

to ossito16
Gee. That sound a lot like socialism. There are many opportunities in this country to better yourself, although just about all the options include hard work and a ton of determination.

And education is: The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process.

So I would have to disagree with you on your definition and usefulness of education. I believe you are referring to the school system, which is currently in disarray. Should high school include more life important learning? Yes. Teaching every high school the importance of managing money is a must in this country where charging everything to a credit card is rampant. From what I understand there are a large amount of people in the U.S. that basically rotate debit each month. Also teaching 'street-smarts' would be a huge help for students heading off to college. Many of my college friends don't know how to search for an apt, a car, etc. They don't do research ahead of time, learn the sales lingo, etc.

I'm still in college, but live on my own. Over time I have learned these critical life lessons. Perhaps these are only things that can be learned by doing and not in a class room. But it seems to me that if they could be learned ahead of time it would decrease the amount of mistakes many college students make the first time out on their own.

As far as the tax is concerned, I leave you with this quote from Thomas Jefferson found @ »etext.virginia.edu/jeffe ··· 1330.htm
(I've said before if people are that upset about our gov.'t they need to show it by voting for the 'right' people. Actually keep up with the issues at hand and do some research, don't just listen to the rhetoric. Even I know that those guys will say anything to get into office. Its what they do in office that matters.)

"Excessive taxation ... will carry reason and reflection to every man's door, and particularly in the hour of election." --Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1798. ME 10:64

wcweaver
Premium Member
join:2002-02-22
Fort Myers, FL

wcweaver

Premium Member

When will the Telcos stop collecting it?

My guess is never. The TELCOS will probably just call it something else and keep on collecting it.


cfm117
join:2004-02-13
Winnetka, CA

cfm117

Member

Redirect funds

Might as well redirect the funds to fight illegal immigration "war"
Kiwi88
Premium Member
join:2003-05-26
Bryant, AR

Kiwi88

Premium Member

Somebody has to pay..

For Enron et al & all those other parasites, though it's reasonable to expect some tax payment, to off set the Super Rich, you think. it's a 'Great' freedom to be honed down on multiple tax's -Shucks I forgot, "Represented" Taxation. Something about a Tea Party?

But, on the real side of life, there will always be a way to 'Find' money for the coffers. There will always be someone who pays, it's unlikely to involve the Constitution and seldom considers those most affected these days. look for the middle class to come through

In the past Wars paid out huge dividends, it seems those days are over. Particularly if a personal profit is to be made. [Not knocking the warriors, rather the purse holder]. Particularly as Veterans are now being screwed down on benefits, limited at best. Keep on, keeping on, right.

we are worrying about Broadband tax? Shucks, it's a far larger issue, aside the profiteers in this realm. Budget is a National Disaster, in general. In fact we outa call the UN, right now!...Lol

Cheers
rid0617
join:2003-07-20
Greer, SC

rid0617

Member

Foreign aid?

I'd be happy if this country would realize their only income is our taxes and they quit sending billions of dollars to foreign countries just with the hope they will like us.
mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA

mglunt

Member

Wait just a second - tax cuts for the rich!

You do realize that when this 3% is taken off of phone bills, who will see the biggest savings? The people with the biggest bills - the rich, and the rich business owners.

I don't understand how the liberal anti-business people who run this site could possibly be in favor of this.

blackjeep
join:2001-07-12
Atlanta, GA

blackjeep

Member

Re: Wait just a second - tax cuts for the rich!

You are a dumbass.
mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA

mglunt

Member

Re: Wait just a second - tax cuts for the rich!

Why am I a dumbass for pointing out how this tax cut would help the rich save more money than the middle class?
briartech
join:2005-12-23
Stamping Ground, KY

briartech

Member

Keep the tax!

Remember the Alamooooooo!