Spanish-American War

F

FUD

Moderator
Moderator(s):

Please feel free to close this trend if you wish as it really doesn't have anything to do with guns but I really wanted to share this with others ...

Going over my phone bill today trying to account for some unexplained event that I made reference to in another trend when I came upon some things that didn't make sense. After talking to the telephone rep., I learned that we are all paying a 3% tax on our phone bill to fund the Spanish-American War which ended over 100 years ago! This tax was passed and never removed. I suspect that we have paid for the cost of that war many times over and I'm really curious where all of that money is going to.

Share what you know, learn what you don't -- FUD
fud-nra.gif


[This message has been edited by FUD (edited June 06, 2000).]
 
Oddly enough that particular tax was discussed in Congress recently. Some Congressman (not sure who) heard about it and asked the same questions you did. He or she got the ball rolling and that tax is being phased out like it should have been long ago. Makes you wonder how many other hidden taxes are still around that should have been retired.

It's like some turnpikes and bridges that are paid for over and over, including their maintenance, by the tolls charged for them.
 
I heard a blurb on the radio yesterday that this tax is going to be phased out....with a lot of hoopla from the Dems, taking credit for "lowering taxes"

------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
 
There should be a law that sunsets every tax bill after 5 years. They want the tax? -- it has to be voted on again, and be exposed to the wrath of the public. Otherwise, the pols get away with this because of the voters' short attention span.

[This message has been edited by Oatka (edited June 06, 2000).]
 
A little know bit of trivia is that our "liquor tax" (16% ??) in Pennsylvania is actually the Johstown Flood tax (1889).

Tom
 
Well, we also fund the "Rural Electrification Department" or something like that to the tune of several billion dollars a year. This Federal Agency was created during FDRs first term to bring telephone and electric service to rural areas. That mission has now been accomplished. I wonder what all those beaurocrats working for that agency do now?

Your governemnt also employs, among other people, pasta experts. Want to know about pasta? Guess what, someone somewhere in the Federal Gubmint knows everything about pasta because its his job to keep up on the pasta industry.

I read an article a while ago on Lesko's (infomercial guy, "get gubmint money to finance your new business" type-guides) books and how they are a good roadmap to waste fraud and abuse. I'll try to find it.
 
The Spanish American War tax even found its way into the tv show "West Wing." I hope viewers didn't think it was a spoof- it's quite true. You are subject to all sorts of "temporary" taxes that never end. For example, if you are in a major city you are probably paying for a new sports stadium with a restaurant tax, which will continue long after the stadium is paid for (and will continue even if the franchise leaves town). What is frightening is the absence of outrage over this SAW tax by elected officials. I don't hear any voices calling for its repeal. (Today the Pentagon announced it will have a budget shortfall of $1.5 billion because of operations in Kosovo. The Pentagon admits it doesn't have a "rainy day" fund though this shortfall frequently occurs. The military's answer may be to defer maintenance and cut out day care. I suppose suggesting a moritorium on new systems procurement would be heresy?)
 
Hey, tombread, how about the "nail the traveler" tax to pay for these stadia and convention centers? That 8% to 10% "bed tax" for motels and hotels!

What frosts me the most, in all this discussion, is the mindset of the usual suspects in City Hall who assume that anything should be taxable to provide funding for any little project that seems like a Good Idea. What little debate goes on is not about the desirability of the project; it's only about who or what to tax to pay for it!

Yeah, a five-year sunset provision would be nice. Good effing luck.

Art
 
About 5 years ago I went back to Noo Yawk to see mom . Parked in Manhattan and was blessed with the priv of paying 18% parking tax . 18%!!!!!
A guy whose car was towed and stored in the impound examined the bill and found he was paying part of the bill for dredging the foundation area to build the pier where the impound was . Well over 100 years ago .
BUT!!! Look at it this way . Once they get the money they create a way to spend it . They continue to need it even after the "whatever" is paid for . Revenue cannot go down , only up . Whoever has the biggest budget has the biggest ....well you know .

------------------
TOM
SASS AMERICAN LEGION NRA
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top