Monday, November 03, 2003

Senate set to debate Net tax bill [CNET News.com - Front Door] The U.S. Senate next week is expected to debate a bill that could impose a permanent ban on taxes on Internet access service, according to Senate staffers. The moratorium on such a tax, originally crafted in 1998 and then extended in 2001, is set to expire on Nov. 1. However, some senators want to make the ban permanent, leaving certain states concerned about lost revenue. Other regulatory bodies, such as the Multistate Tax Commission, have expressed concern that the ban could extend into voice-over-Internet protocol calls and could limit the revenue potential from such calls for states. The bill is likely to be debated on the Senate floor on Thursday, Nov. 6, the sources said. I bring this up because there is a hoax running around talking about a bit tax (again).  Don't be fooled.  Until the Senate get's the appropriations bills through, there won't be much discussion on anything.  As of today, 5 November, there have only 4 of 13 appropriations bills passed.  It will be a while. 3:53:39 PM    comment []

Bush Uses Good Economic News to Press Tax Message. President Bush campaigned on the economy and other domestic issues today in Alabama, where he called for permanent tax relief. By David Stout. [New York Times: Business] What is missing from the headlines is the small note that employment remains sluggish.  Not only sluggish, but there are those of us that have dropped off the back side of the ledger.  You see, just before a year of submitting requests for compensation as unemployed, you become unable to file a new claim as your benefits run out.  So how do the bean counters know you are still unemployed (or better, that you have gone back to work)?  Short answer is they don't know and have no real way of knowing and as a result, the numbers of the unemployed are unrecorded.  So I am one of the missing.  I have dropped off the ledger on the back side.  So think of this as you listen to the President crow about the "good" economic news.  Better yet, look around as the Christmas season arrives.  Are you better off today than you were yesterday?  Do you think you will have a job tomorrow?  Make sure you bet right, because the IRS wants your money to pay for the mistakes of this President.  After all, $87 billion is enough to rebuild Iraq.  What is it going to take to rebuild the United States of America. 3:42:44 PM    comment []

It is hard to believe that in 2003, there are few companies that don't know accept on-line payments for things, and fewer still that don't provide quick resolution when you have a problem making an on-line payment.  So, imagine my surprise, when a on-line company not only has a broken system, but does not respond rapidly to the report of a problem. Now, I am not going to mention the company directly, but if I drop off line, you will know that things still haven't been fixed. 3:33:04 PM    comment []

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