Remember The Maine -- When You Pay That Internet Tax

The Joint Committee on Taxation has a bully idea. That telephone tax Washington passed to pay for the Spanish-American War -- how's about extending it to all Internet connections next year? Congress passed the 3% excise tax on telephones around the turn of the last century when telephones were luxury items and Washington needed to pay for a war with Spain over sinking the Maine. Turns out, the Maine sunk because of a faulty boiler, and we're still paying the tax to pay for that war. Bet President McKinley never expected to spread that tax to fiber optic lines. (CNET News)