4/27/08--UPDATE: FINAL VOTE ON S.150 IN A MATER OF DAYS.
FLOOR DEBATE BEGAN MONDAY, APRIL 26th.
Visit the ACM Legislative Action Center (
www.alliancecm.org/ for More Information.
Email, Fax and Call your Senate Offices Today to Oppose S.150 and
Support
S.2084 as a Substitute Bill.
Despite the appearance that S.150 is simply an extension of the
current
moratorium, it contains new, vague language that could threaten
franchise
fees and PEG access. The language of S. 150 could deprive
municipalities of
billions of dollars in tax and fee revenue. According to the National
League
of Cities, S.150 is as a preemption of local taxing authority and as
an
unfunded mandate (as determined by the Congressional Budget Office).
We support substituting this bill with S. 2084 because it extends the
federal ban on state and local taxation of Internet access in a manner
that
is technology neutral and fair to state and local governments. S.2084
defines the term "Internet access" in a manner that does not
jeopardize
local governments' existing taxing authority on telecommunications
services.
It secures local governments' ability to collect telecommunications
taxes
and franchise fees for a two-year period.
The Internet Tax Moratorium, originally intended to prevent the
taxation of
Internet transactions, expired on October 31, 2003, due the the lack
of
Congressional action. S. 150 is the result of the desire to extend and
expand upon the existing moratorium. But, this legislation has been
heavily
influenced by cable and telecom industry lobbyists who have helped
expand
the definition of internet access. Now this legislation could exempt
all
telecommunications providers from local government taxes, including
franchise fees for cable and telephone
S.150 would result in a huge tax giveaway to the telecommunications
industry
at the expense of state and local taxpayers, small businesses, and
working
families. The legislation would preempt local and state tax collection
of
gross receipts taxes, rights-of-way fees, franchise fees, and other
current
taxes on telecommunications services at an estimated cost of more than
$9
billion per year. This loss of local revenue would directly translate
into a
loss of local services to cities and towns across the nation.
TAKE ACTION TODAY!!
Fax and Email Your Senate Office A Letter
a.. Sample letter text is available through the ACM's online
Legislative
Action Center, to help you quickly and easily draft a letter to your
Senator. Just enter your zip code to format the letter easily on your
own
computer. The Legislative Action Center includes contact information
with
your Senator's fax number.
OR
Call Your Senate Office and Say:
a.. S. 150 does not simply extend the existing moratorium on
Internet
access taxes or tweak it to accommodate emerging technologies. Instead,
S.
150 expands the existing moratorium by dramatically decreasing local
taxing
authority.
b.. S. 2084 calls for a two-year extension of the existing moratorium
on
the imposition of new telecommunications taxes, which gives Congress,
the
FCC, industry and local governments time to determine the appropriate
tax
treatment for emerging telecommunications.
c.. S. 2084 preserves the ban on email or Internet access taxes, as
well
as multiple and discriminatory taxes. The legislation also establishes
parity among all types of Internet platforms, whether telephone lines,
cable
modems or DSL, which provides clear protections for consumers and tax
guidance for local and state governments.
Visit the ACM Legislative Action Center for More Information.
