2001 March

Sprint Bill

Computers can be pretty useful. It is claimed that they drove the productivity improvements of the last few years, resulting in a long recession free period.

But, as usual, tools can be misused. Look at what happens when the lawmakers get them in their sticky fingers.

Sprint (in Kentuckey) is my cell phone provider. I seldom use the portable and thus my minimum $19.99 program suits me fine. My most recent bill is however $21.87 while I used only 8 minutes from my 40 minutes alotment.

Here the add-ons:
California 911 Tax.15
California PUC Tax.02
California Universal Lifeline Tele Service.16
California Teleconnect Fund Surcharge.04
California High Cost Fund Surcharge.52
USA Regulatory Obligations & Fees.36
USA Federal Tax.63
TOTAL$1.88
Thus, these little fees cost me already 23.5c/minute!

The names of these add-ons show great creativity: Tele Service, Surcharge, Obligations and Fees. This kind of obfuscation deserves, if not the fire squat, at least life time confinement.

But now consider that a company thousand of miles away from California is collecting five different taxes fantasized by California (as well as two Federal plunderings).

We need a federal law that prohibits the institution of taxes that could not be collected without computers ...