by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: February 18, 2010

We already pay for access to the internet! We pay a lot! Those who cannot afford a home computer or internet service have access to the public computers in libraries and schools. Looking at the average internet access bill will reveal the various state, local, excise and other taxes that the provider collects and remits to the government. Taxes are paid and that is that.

Our general access to the internet is a private concern. Corporations have capital investments in their equipment, satellite accesses and other overhead for providing a lovely interface for us to use. They recover their investments through fees, advertising and product sales. We pay taxes on the software and hardware that we buy.

Government websites are already paid for through income and other taxes. These features are part of the budgets of any governments, usually through intergovernmental transfers from the federal government when they are state and local websites.

Just as with any other infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, and airports, we funded the development and research through our tax dollars decades ago, when the government, military and educational institutions were the main users of the internet. Now, we fund repairs, upgrades, and research and development through taxes that we have already paid.

Taxing the internet would be the equivalent to turning a publicly built and funded road into a toll road, where fees have to be paid at various locations on a drive to somewhere. This makes sense in some areas where a road that is only used by certain people should not have to be paid for by all, or where a private corporation claims (but rarely proves) that they can do a better job of maintaining the government.

As with any major infrastructure, the internet's capital investment was far too overwhelming for private investors, so the government had to do the development, then make the internet available to the public. This is the way that our freeways, sewer systems and other insanely costly facilities and features were done throughout our history.

Taxing what has already been paid for by both the taxpayer and by private investors makes no sense, whatsoever.

But, taxable product sales that bypass the state and local taxes that are needed to keep our cities and communities and states safe and well run are another problem. If state and local product laws, rules and taxes exist, then they should exist on line, too.

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