New Yorkers discover a tax on their cell phone use is being used to secretly finance war…the Spanish-American War

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While polls have shown that most New Yorkers are adamantly against the war in Iraq, one can only imagine how they will feel once they find out their cell phone use is helping to finance the Spanish-American war that ended in 1898.

New York City cell phone users are out about
$275 million - more than $50 apiece - because the feds continue to
collect a tax first imposed to finance the Spanish-American War, Sen.
Chuck Schumer charged yesterday.
The federal excise tax was a luxury levy on the few Americans who could
afford land lines back in 1898. Even though the war it financed ended
that year, the tax proved hard to kill as time passed, finally becoming
permanent in 1990. At 3% of each phone bill, it brings in $6 billion a
year for the federal budget.

I for one refuse to be a part of this militaristic war machine. I am starting CCATSAW (Concerned Citizens Against the Spanish-American War), drop us an e-mail if you’re interested in joining. Many states have already repealed this law and showed their support for CCATSAW, why does New York hate Spanish people so much?

Also, since technically the war ended 108 years ago, maybe someone could explain where that $6 billion a year is going to.

1898 law taxes city cell users [Daily News]