Still Paying Taxes FOr An Old, Old War
No, not the Vietnam War. Way before that.

Back in the 60s people who protested the Vietnam War withheld paying a phone tax. It was to support the war they said.

Today the local TV news on WCCO's Reality Report told us that they were right. Sort of.

(WCCO) It's a controversial war tax that protesters claim is unfair and improper. Turns out they're right, and you're entitled to your money back.

IN FACT, it's not a tax on the War in Iraq. It's a tax you pay for the Spanish-American War, which ended 108 years ago.

It's TRUE, all of us have been paying a 3 percent long-distance telephone tax, first imposed in 1898, to finance the war with Spain over the island nation of Cuba.

We will all get up to $60 refunded, depending on the number of phones, etc. That's about $8 billion. And, by the way, in 1898 , a tax on long-distance calls was considered a luxury tax! Finally, we have one war paid for. Maybe a luxury tax is the answer to pay for the other one. Bet that would end the war quickly if it was the wrong luxury being taxed.