Smoky Mountains Sunrise

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

74% Oppose Taxing Internet News Sites To Help Newspapers


From Rasmussen Reports

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is considering several ways to help the struggling newspaper industry, but Americans strongly reject several proposed taxes to keep privately-owned newspapers going.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 84% oppose a three percent (3%) tax on monthly cell phone bills to help newspapers and traditional journalism.

Similarly, 76% oppose a proposed five percent tax on the purchase of consumer electronic items such as computers, iPads and Kindles to help support newspapers and traditional journalism. Seventy-four percent (74%) oppose the proposal to tax web sites like the Drudge Report to help the newspapers they draw their headlines from.

Each of these ideas was suggested for consideration in a recent FTC report.



1 comment:

kkollwitz said...

Don't you remember the Gutenberg Tax that was put on all printed matter starting around 1450 in order to subsidize scribes and copyists?

Me neither.