Current Events > California abandons plan to tax text messages

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/16/tech/california-text-tax-vote-canceled/index.html

California regulators no longer plan to tax text messages.

The California Public Utilities Commission said a new FCC ruling prevented the state from levying a tax on text plans. The state hoped to add new monthly fees onto wireless customers' bills to increase funds for programs that bring connectivity to underserved residents. Regulators were scheduled to vote on the measure on January 10, 2019.

The FCC put the text tax's future in doubt when it issued a new rule on December 12 determining text messages constitute an "information service" not a "telecommunications service." CPUC commissioner Carla Peterman withdrew the text tax propsal "in light of the FCC's action."

Proponents of the FCC's new rule say it will give carriers the ability to crack down on spam messages, and critics say it could lead to carriers censoring messages. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

The CPUC's proposed text tax faced strong opposition from industry trade groups, including CTIA, which represents AT&T Mobility, Sprint, and T-Mobile. (AT&T is the parent company of CNN.)

The industry group said the CPUC proposal would have created inequity "between wireless carriers and other providers of messaging services," such as WhatsApp, iMessage and Skype. In a legal filing, CTIA called the text tax plan "illogical, anticompetitive, and harmful to consumers."
CTIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

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"old man yells at cloud, nearly ruins local economy, put back in wheelchair"
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Harmful to consumers is these mega telecommunication monopolies like Verizon and AT&T artificially raising prices on data.

this is one of the rare instances where providers and consumers interests are actually aligned

TheDarkCircle posted...

this is one of the rare instances where providers and consumers interests are actually aligned

And the freakin FCC
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Wow, a really asinine and shitty idea is justly slammed. I'm actually surprisedand happy.
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Good god thank you!

Lol California fuck off with your dumbass taxes
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california politicians have never seen a tax they didn't like
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Thompson posted...

Wow, a really asinine and shitty idea is justly slammed. I'm actually surprisedand happy.

IMO, there was no reason to think this was going to pass when the article about it came out last week(?).

Since it was just a proposal made by some group that no politicians had currently commented on.
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Sorry, but not everyone in the world needs a phone. People have survived without phones forever.
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They need to pay attention to France. We literally are not okay with how much of our paychecks are being taken by governments that misuse the money.
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I'm tired of paying excessive taxes for our inflated military budget so we can bully the rest of the world. I would rather my tax money go to help underprivileged people have access to communication.

cmiller4642 posted...

I'm tired of paying excessive taxes for our inflated military budget so we can bully the rest of the world. I would rather my tax money go to help underprivileged people have access to communication.

So youre literally trying to say that the solution to our nations problems is to cut military spending and distribute cellphones to the underprivileged?

Can you please explain how this would possible even begin to help our national crisis of working citizens not taking home what they earn? Because thats kinda the issue were are talking about. Its the reason that there is outrage throughout Western Europe.
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Payzmaykr posted...

cmiller4642 posted...

I'm tired of paying excessive taxes for our inflated military budget so we can bully the rest of the world. I would rather my tax money go to help underprivileged people have access to communication.

So youre literally trying to say that the solution to our nations problems is to cut military spending and distribute cellphones to the underprivileged?

Can you please explain how this would possible even begin to help our national crisis of working citizens not taking home what they earn?

Our national crisis is income inequality. Get off your Libertarian high horse (although Libertarians aren't real anyway, they're just Republicans who want to smoke pot)

cmiller4642 posted...

Payzmaykr posted...

cmiller4642 posted...

I'm tired of paying excessive taxes for our inflated military budget so we can bully the rest of the world. I would rather my tax money go to help underprivileged people have access to communication.

So youre literally trying to say that the solution to our nations problems is to cut military spending and distribute cellphones to the underprivileged?

Can you please explain how this would possible even begin to help our national crisis of working citizens not taking home what they earn?

Our national crisis is income inequality. Get off your Libertarian high horse (although Libertarians aren't real anyway, they're just Republicans who want to smoke pot)

You say that like It's a bad thing
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joe_stalin518 posted...

cmiller4642 posted...

Payzmaykr posted...

cmiller4642 posted...

I'm tired of paying excessive taxes for our inflated military budget so we can bully the rest of the world. I would rather my tax money go to help underprivileged people have access to communication.

So youre literally trying to say that the solution to our nations problems is to cut military spending and distribute cellphones to the underprivileged?

Can you please explain how this would possible even begin to help our national crisis of working citizens not taking home what they earn?

Our national crisis is income inequality. Get off your Libertarian high horse (although Libertarians aren't real anyway, they're just Republicans who want to smoke pot)

You say that like It's a bad thing

Weak willed Trump yes men like Rand Paul and Penn Jillette.

So phony

Spooking posted...

Another horrible idea coming out of California. No wonder there is a mass exodus from California to Texas.

lolwut
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lol good
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Never had a chance
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also the only ones that leave are republican, making California an even more solidly blue state
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Tmaster148 posted...

it issued a new rule on December 12 determining text messages constitute an "information service" not a "telecommunications service."

Not that anyone really uses text messaging anymore, but this is a blatant misclassification.
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catboy0_0 posted...

also the only ones that leave are republican, making California an even more solidly blue state

Good

Texass can have em
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this lasted, what, a day?
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California is so desperate for money.
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This is literally the only good news I've heard all day. Fucking Packers...
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Kolibri X posted...

California is so desperate for money.

they're trying to get ahead of their coming pension crisis
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they just want there to be money if Trump cuts funding for emergency services for no reason except to be a cartoon villain.
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