Remember when the Communication Workers of America backed Net Neutrality in the mildest way possible, despite the fact that it risked killing CWA jobs? Well here’s their payoff: CWA is all-in for the Internet Tax.
Of course, the left isn’t calling it the Internet Tax. Instead it’s “Universal Service Fund reform,” by which they mean finding a way to get more money into the so-called Universal Service Fund for rural phone access, then spend that money on state-run Internet access. How will they get that money? With “contributions” of course, by which FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski actually means USF taxes.
Speaking of taxes, of course the California battle to tax interstate commerce rages on. It turns out though that Democrats are lying about how much money the tax will bring in. The Board of Equalization, California’s equivalent of the IRS, says the tax would bring in $150 million to a state running a $25 billion deficit. But Democrats are running around claiming it would bring in double that, $300 million, which is still only 1% of the deficit.
And that’s before we factor in income tax and other revenue losses due to the program. So the so-called Amazon Tax would be a failure when it comes to solving our problems, plus it would violate the US Constitution. So let’s skip it, please. Cut spending instead. Governor Brown, grow a spine and stand up to the unions, for crying out loud.
And speaking of the FCC, a mask slips next weekend as FCC Commissioner Michael Copps meets with Robert McChesney on NPR. McChesney is of course the co-founder of the neo-Marxist group Free Press, a key driver of Net Neutrality as a step toward state-run media in America. Copps is the man I’ve long called Free Press’s pet Commissioner. Now the truth comes out about how buddy-buddy they really are.
Remember when Google took H.264, the Internet’s leading streaming video format and top format used in HTML 5, out of Chrome? I wasn’t sure if it was done to slap at Apple’s iOS, free ride on Microsoft, or some combination of the two. Well half has now come true as, as predicted, Microsoft has released its own H.264 plugin for Chrome. Google is so cheap.
Closing with a programming note: This might be the only Tech at Night this week as I will be flying out of town Tuesday night, not to return until Saturday. I’ve never tried to write Tech at Night from a hotel room on my iPad and I don’t know how well that will work.