Outrage Of The Week

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK
Your contribution to the Spanish-American War


A hundred and seven years ago, in 1898, the federal government began levying a temporary 3 percent excise tax on telephones, ostensibly to fund the Spanish-American War.

Flash forward to 2005 -- and every American with a telephone is still paying this "temporary" tax. The war was over after just a few months, but the tax has been in effect for over a century. On top of that, the tax does not go for any specific purpose. Rather, the funds are simply added to the general fund.

Congress attempted to repeal the tax in 2000. Both the House and the Senate passed legislation to eliminate the tax -- it was a 420-2 vote in the House -- but then-President Bill Clinton vetoed the bill when it reached his desk.

Once again, the House has been presented with a bill -- H.R. 1898 -- that would repeal the tax on telephone and other communications services. The bill was introduced in late April by Rep. Gary G. Miller of California, and has been cosponsored by 39 other congressmen. It currently sits in the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The outrage?

This tax should have been repealed more than a century ago, but some members of Congress still support the tax -- and some even want to expand it. Congress' Joint Committee on Taxation issued an opinion in January, saying that the tax could be expanded to apply to wireless Internet and data connections.

They must be from Maryland..last I heard, Maryland Congress was trying to pass a law to tax a person every time they exhale.

Good thing I don’t run then. After all that would make me exhale more and I have to save mine up for sex. Maybe I should only take a large breath every 20 sec? Do you think that would work? What a bunch of “Bull Shit” (good show by the way)!!

LOL I was just kidding but at times I honestly think that is what is happening here.

There is a saying about Maryland, if you can think it, we can tax it. Sad but true.

I guess they really really want us the "remember the Maine"

im confused that something that passed by such an overwhelming majority couldnt get the votes to override a veto.

No...don't be silly...the tax they passed was the flush tax....and that aint a joke.

Most people don't realize that the income tax was a temporary measure either.....and you'll never hear the Washington crowd wanting to repeal that.

Maryland without a good tax base equals the District of Columbia. If you've been to DC lately, you can see why MD has never had a massive tax revolt.

Ha, been to DC lately? I don't go to DC unless I have a death wish that day. It takes too much to strap on the bullet proof vest and load the .40 caliber for me to take a trip there. LOL

Let's all go to bed wearing the perfume we like best.
-Carlos Fuentes

That's pretty wierd, wonder why he vetoed it... Expanding it to digital stuff is a BAD idea.

Income tax was also created as a wartime tax, wasn't it? I guess this tax still exists for basically the same reason--just to avoid lowering taxes.

Income Tax was really only a Voluntary System of the Rich to help pay for the poor in the depression. It was continued in to WWII to help us win the war. After the War we need to rebuild and help others rebuild and we had the USSR so we could not give it up. After the rebuilding was done and the USSR was gone we had China. Well China never really became a threat so now we have Terrorist.

When you give up your money to the government you will never get it back. When you give up your rights to the government you will never get them back.

The Revenue Act of 1861 was waaay before the Great Depression. As was the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1913). The top rate was increased greatly during the Depression and WWII, but there was an income tax since the 16th Amendment.

Just a thought about why Clinton vetoed the pointless telephone tax...it could have been lumped in with a bunch of other amendments that Clinton *really* didn't want. Congressmen do that all the time to stop legislation from happening, it seems to me.