CAN IT BE STOPPED?
|| By FITSNEWS || A proposed cell phone tax hike being pushed by a pair of liberal “Republican” State Senators is making its way through South Carolina’s “Republican-controlled” legislature.
The tax increase – which we wrote on HERE – would add a new cell phone tax to an existing $40 million state tax (and $100 million federal tax) on landlines. And the money would flow directly into the pockets of landline providers.
In other words it’s theft: State-sponsored theft – which was approved by the S.C. Senate Judiciary committee on a 15-6 vote this week (meaning it’s headed to the floor of the State Senate soon).
Primary sponsor Luke Rankin – a Democrat who switched his party affiliation not long ago – claims the measure is “not raising a tax” but rather “equalizing a tax,” at least that’s according to reporter Thad Moore of The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier.
Rankin has been joined in advancing the tax hike by liberal “Republican” Thomas Alexander.
Do we support this tax hike? Um, no …
“In addition to rejecting this expansion of an unfair crony capitalist handout, state lawmakers should also file legislation that would rescind the existing $40 million annual theft,” we wrote last month. “In fact we’ll be looking to free market champions like S.C. Senators Tom Davis and Kevin Bryant to take the lead in blocking this tax hike – and restoring the money that’s being raided from the public trust.”
Hopefully Davis and Bryant will do a better job advocating against the hike than S.C. Senator Shane Massey, who told the press he had no clue what the bill would do.
“I’ve got a bunch of questions but I don’t even know what they are,” Massey said, according to Moore’s report.
Great … and this is the guy we’re relying on to block this tax hike?
Sheesh …
Here’s the deal: As media executive and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes recently noted in announcing his opposition to this bill, “government policies should encourage innovation and competition, not reward companies whose business plans depend on taxpayer-funded handouts to maintain their profit margins.”
Forbes added that State Senators should refrain from “doubling down on a government-imposed subsidy program that takes money from everyday people and gives it to companies.”
Amen …
South Carolinians simply cannot afford this tax hike … nor can they afford the unfair crony capitalist levy they’re already paying to the phone companies, whose failure to innovate is no one’s fault but their own.
8 comments
With so many people dropping their land lines and opting for cell phone only, it will be interesting to see what happens when the cell phone system is hacked and taken down.
The blacked out mobile mobs will riot.
since the vast majority of landline usage is business related, it should be paid for by a business income tax or payroll tax, if it should be paid with by tax dollars at all (it shouldnt)
The telecomm industry was give 200 billion dollars-200 BILLION-in tax payer dollars to improve the infrastructure of our telecomms and provide fiber internet to everyone in america. they were supposed to supply us with 45mbps up and down by 2010. what happened instead was 90% profit margins, rate hikes, speed throttling, and anti-competitive behavior. they should be on the hook for their own maintenance because we already paid to have the facilities built.
dont’ worry the mouth breathers in this state will continue to vote for these guys. Why? Simply because they have an “R” next to their name and tell everyone how “conservative” they are.
There is simply no difference between Republicans and Democrats other than they hand taxpayers money over to different groups.
Heres some more information on the $200Billion theft Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast committed
http://www.newnetworks.com/ShortSCANDALSummary.htm
What exactly is the benefit supposed to be created as a result of this tax?
the sponsors get a big check from landline companies and we get to maintain THEIR means of business
Great article Will, there is so much wrong about this bill, you only scratched the surface. This bill epitomizes everything that is wrong about special interests. We as taxpayers are getting royally screwed on this one and there is very little media uproar or much buzz about it, mainly because even some anti tax groups have sold out to support this