Internet plus taxes equals big uproar /Seattle P-I

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/172117_virgin06.html

Thursday, May 6, 2004

Internet plus taxes equals big uproar

By BILL VIRGIN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

REMEMBER THAT Internet-propagated urban legend of a few years back that said the government had a secret plan to put a tax of a penny or two on every e-mail?

That e-mail tax, fictitious though it might be, would be a model of clarity compared to what exists -- and what's proposed -- for taxing access to and transactions over the Internet.

Last month the Senate passed a bill that would extend a moratorium on Internet taxes for another four years. In the florid language of one of the bill's sponsors, U.S. Sen. George Allen, the legislation was backed by "those who stand for freedom, opportunity, prosperity and more jobs rather than more taxation and burdensome regulations on the Internet. The Internet is one of our country's greatest tools and symbols of innovation and individual empowerment. Its invention was as profoundly transforming and revolutionary for the dissemination of ideas and thoughts as was the Gutenberg press.

"That is why I'm glad to see the majority of the Senate voted today with those who want to see the Internet continue to grow and flourish as a tool for information, opportunity and commerce. By passing this bill, we are helping to close the economic digital divide by promoting equal access to the Internet for all Americans."

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too many ways to manipulate things. you get your uneducated people about things on the net and they'll get slammed hard. All you need is set something up to spam email with 3-4 megabyte files and fill their email boxes, and the unknowing average joe downloads all of it day after day. lots of bytes downloaded, etc.

If anything, just a simple flat tax on access, but with the taxes going towards improvements on the system. Like many of the toll roads states have, the money goes back into those roads.