Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style

Mon Dec 20 18:37:40 UTC 2010

On Dec 20, 2010, at 1:09 PM, Owen DeLong wrote:
>> Cities currently do not recoup anything from telephone and internet services.  Cities are capped at 5% of gross revenue from video services, and the definition of what they can recoup has been consistently narrowed by the FCC, as I noted here (in response to the first message in which you raised this concern):
>> 
>> http://mailman.nanog.org/pipermail/nanog/2010-December/029444.html
> 
> As someone who has a "City Telephone Tax" on both my cellular and wireline
> bills, I beg to differ.

Fascinating.  You appear to be right.  For some reason I thought this was standardized at the federal level by the FCC, but it seems to vary depending on the state.  

For example, it seems that such taxes are prohibited in Oregon:
https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/305.823

But permitted in New York:
http://www.dps.state.ny.us/TelecomTaxesSurcharges.html
("Not to exceed 1% except in Buffalo, Rochester and Yonkers, where the rate may not exceed 3%.")