Vote against telecommunications tax

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007

Vote against telecommunications tax

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We, the people of Prince George’s County, will now have the opportunity, or dare I say the right, to vote on increasing the amount of money we pay on telephone and cable service.

As a result of the recent decision by the County Council, we get to decide if we want to pay up to 11 percent more a month on our phone and cable bills. Now that is something to talk about!

Currently, we are paying $46,593,600 in telephone taxes during the 2007 fiscal year, the highest amount in the entire state of Maryland, $16 million more than in Montgomery County. Why on God’s green earth would we want to pay more?

I understand the government needs money to operate, but I also know that we need phones to live. This tax would make this indispensable part of life unobtainable for many — seniors on fixed incomes, small business owners and working class people just like me.

By shackling us with an excessive tax on our phones, our lifelines, in essence our county would be doing us all an injustice. As the rest of the world continues to bridge the digital divide, we in Prince George’s would be watching the gap widen as our phone service grows more unaffordable.

The truth is I accept that we have to pay taxes, and I am willing to pay my fair share. But we should not have to pay the highest taxes in the state for our cable and phone service.

I encourage everyone in Prince George’s County who wants to bridge the digital divide and provide real education and economic opportunity for our children and community to vote no on the proposed telecommunications tax increase in November 2008.

Delicia Stewart, Fort Washington