California Running Out of Money, Now Wants To Tax Text Messages

[tmttactical]

Will there ever be enough money? What happens when thy figure out the number breaths we take per minute, the average lung capacity and then decide how much we should pay for breathing. of course this so the poor folks spending their waking hours texting, have more free texting Only the liberals could decide it is a human right to free data plan phones and unlimited texting. If they need a phone for job seekers, get them a flip phone.

A proposal filed Sunday to the Public Utilities Commission of California could result in the state’s residents paying a tax on text messaging.

The proposal, which could be heard by Commissioner Carla J. Peterman as early as Thursday, suggests that “text message services revenue should be subject to Public Purpose Program surcharges and user fees.”

The state believes collecting a tax on text messaging is needed to provide the necessary revenue to the Public Purpose Program to maintain basic wireless services for low-income residents.

Most people do it: Pick up their phones and, instead of calling someone, send a quick text message. Well, that text message could cost an extra tax if California state regulators get their way. https://t.co/uTEl71QVJT

— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) December 12, 2018

In other words, the tax is designed to help support low-cost cell service for those in lower income brackets.

“It’s a dumb idea,” said Jim Wunderman, president of the Bay Area Council business-sponsored advocacy group, told the San Jose Mercury News. “This is how conversations take place in this day and age, and it’s almost like saying there should be a tax on the conversations we have.”

The Bay Area Council, California Chamber of Commerce and Silicon Valley Leadership Group estimate the new charges would generate about $44.5 million per year.

https://www.westernjournal.com/california-wants-tax-text-messages/

 

[grayghost668]

California ,,,,, it's a shame that state doesn't just slip off into the Ocean,,,,The USA would be better off without it

 

[TexasFreedom]

There is a place for such a tax. I wish they would have taxed Beto when he sent out a billion texts this past election.

But wouldn't this also be seen as a impediment to free speech? When you tax what someone says, by definition it is no longer 'FREE' (speech). But, violating the Constitution has never been a problem for liberals...

 

[KateMTx]

There are already taxes associated with phone accounts like "E911 fees" but this seems kind of ridiculous. I think I would switch to WhatsApp or another IM app and forget all about text messages!

 

[tmttactical]

Do like me, flip phone and no texting. Email works just fine.

 

[Robinjopo1]

Taxing the citizens to purchase phones for the illegals. Wake up people.

 

[Arcticdude]

I think that's a great idea. Californians need to pay higher taxes because they make too much money and their illegals and "poor" need more "free" stuff. Makes total sense.

 

[DrHenley]

Good luck with that California! With today's technology, texts don't have to be tied to a physical phone number so you are going to have a heck of a time trying to tax all text messages. Using Hangouts and a Google Voice number, you are circumventing the normal channels for text messages, even though for all practical purposes you are "texting." I can even send and receive texts and calls on any computer I log into with the same Google Voice phone number that people use to call my mobile phone. And on any phone I set up Google Voice for. It sometimes uses the carrier SMS, but sometimes uses Internet.

And my son uses a Google Fi phone - Completely VOIP - doesn't use the carrier voice channel or SMS channel at all, but sends everything, text and voice, over the internet using only the 4G LTE channel.

 

[tmttactical]

I am hoping the hype around 5G is not B.S. and it gets rolled out to the rural area's ASAP. The internet is my one big vice. I don't need TV but I do really want internet, once I move out to the boon docks.

 

[Robinjopo1]

My property is positioned so that we can't get cable because they would have to cross the lake with cables.

We use satellite for tv and a different one for internet. It works fine. It is 4g though. The satellite for internet is the Hughesnet gen 5. Tv is Directv

 

[TexasFreedom]

It seems liberal states are all in the same bind. Remember last year when Illinois added a 1% home-value tax per year for the next 30 years? "To help support the defunct pension system for state employees". Uh, sure. They are getting desperate. I'd get out of those states while you still have a shirt on your back.

 

[Roninsensei]

It’s already been deemed illegal to tax texts. They’ve moved on.

 

[tmttactical]

Yep, this tax plan got dumped, so the search is on for the next pot of gold. These pension plan administrators are too stupid to understand they had better get on board the Trump band wagon and pray the stock markets continue to prosper. That is the only way they have even the slights chance of paying off the retiree's.

 

[Arcticdude]

Perhaps California should do a 50% head count reduction of all State slackers, er..I mean workers. And then cancel pensions across the board. No money means no benefits. Balance the budget first.