While the federal government is trying to Þgure out what hit it after rubber-stamping the shit-stupid CDA, state and local ofÞcials are also discovering netizens' resistance to bureaucratic intervention. On January 16, city council members in Spokane, Washington, proposed a 6 percent telecommunications tax for Internet service providers. Pissed-off users created protest sites on the Web and spammed ofÞcials with email and phone calls. The stunned council backed off, but promised Terminator style that they'd be back.
They'll have to get in line behind Uncle Sam, who will soon be holding out his broad palm next to your modem. Ever since the Internet became a free long-distance telephone network, the telcos have been wondering out loud why they have had to pay a federal tax and the ISPs have not. The free ride is over.
ELECTRIC WORD
The Only Candidate that matters is Virtual
Grab for the Net Proceeds
