SoylentNews

Americans Taxed $400 Billion For Fiber Optic Internet That Doesn’t Exist

posted by martyb on Monday December 04 2017, @08:24PM   
from the getting-shafted dept.

canopic jug writes:

For decades, people in the US have been given a song and dance by the telecoms about how tax cuts, surcharges, and a long list of other expenses are necessary for telecoms to "invest" in infrastructure. The concessions are granted again and again, but the investments are never actually made. In all, US taxpayers have paid $400 Billion in taxes and Internet surcharges for fiber optic upgrades that never happened.

---

Original Submission

• Re:Big Business corrupts gov, not the reverse. Re:Big Business corrupts gov, not the reverse. (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 04 2017, @08:37PM (3 children)

  by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 04 2017, @08:37PM (#605272)

  Obviously Big Business has too much money. We need to tax them alot more.

  Parent

  Starting Score:	0		points
  Moderation		+5
  Insightful=5, Total=5
  Extra 'Insightful' Modifier		0
  Total Score:		5

• Why should Government get that money? (Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 05 2017, @12:05AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 05 2017, @12:05AM (#605414)

  I'd rather money stay in the hands of the people who were smart enough to get people to hand it to them willingly.

  It's not at all clear that such money should be handed over (at the barrel of a gun, no less) to this one particular organization (the one that calls itself "government"); indeed, the only people who have proven themselves worthy of that money are the ones who got hold of it through voluntary trade, namely the business.

  Did the business use roads built by the government? Fine. But why are you charging them for the bombing of roads on the other side of the planet, too???

  Parent

• Re:Big Business corrupts gov, not the reverse. Re:Big Business corrupts gov, not the reverse. (Score: 4, Touché) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday December 05 2017, @12:57AM (1 child)

  by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday December 05 2017, @12:57AM (#605436)

  But that would be circular - Big Business has all the money they have from tax breaks, incentives, and subsidies. Take those away and there will be nothing left to tax.

  --
  🌻🌻 [google.com]

  Parent

  • Re:Big Business corrupts gov, not the reverse. (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 05 2017, @04:43AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 05 2017, @04:43AM (#605508)

    You milk the cow, don't pull off the udders.

    Parent