Growing The Government

The FCC is suggesting that a "modest" tax hike on internet users would be profitably put to use helping to provide the last 5% of the American population with access to broadband connectivity.

Keeping in mind the principle that the only way for a government bureau to expand is to fail in its mission, imagine if the Commerce department were to ask for a "modest" per mile driven tax on users of the interstate highway system to allow them to expand the network to insure that the last 5% of America was never more than 10 miles from an interstate highway.

Set the goal high enough and it will never be achieved, proving for the forseeable future that more money is required.

In the case of the internet scam, the last 5% of the country without such coverage does not seem like the critical 5% holding the U.S. back from commercial world domination. I'm thinking that most of them do not have/do not want/cannot afford a computer in the first place.

The unemployment office here has broadband access for anyone wishing to use it, and adding an internet cafe to the welfare office and charging by the hour on the EBT card would probably recoup some of the money we put into it. The Nigerian economy runs on internet cafes, which are far more cost effective than individual connections, so why not?

Money quote:

Turner said it is unlikely that the FCC will make any controversial moves before November's election.
"I don't anticipate that the chairman would move to adopt a drastic overhaul ahead of the election," he said.

Save that tax hike until after.