The Patriot Post® · Now That We Have Net Neutrality, FCC Proposes Tax

The Federal Communications Commission has defined the Internet as a public utility that demands regulation (they call it “protection”). Here they go screwing it up. While net neutrality was debated, the FCC said the Internet would not be taxed. But then the commissars got thinking: What about the underserved areas of the country that subsist on little or no Internet? Emotions won out over promises, and so, the net neutrality rules open the door for a fee tacked onto Internet bills that would divert even more money to the Universal Service Fund. The fund subsidizes communication services. Republican FCC commissioner Ajit Pai said, “The federal government is sure to tap this new revenue stream soon to spend more of consumers’ hard-earned dollars. So when it comes to broadband, read my lips: More new taxes are coming. It’s just a matter of when.” Already, the proposal to tack on this fee will rake in $11 billion for the U.S. government, according to Investor’s Business Daily. Months ago, the story was that Americans were dropping phone lines and spending more time communicating on the privately built infrastructure of the Internet. But that’s all about to change. Even though they didn’t build it, the government is about to make a killing. More…