“Harold Furchtgott-Roth, a former commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, has been saying for months that if the Internet is reclassified as a telephone service – as Mr. Obama is urging – Internet users could be forced to pay federal ‘universal service’ fees of up to 16.1 percent. These fees were initiated decades ago to provide basic phone service, but the services and the number of potential beneficiaries have grown with time.” (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 4.)

Add to this the Internet sales tax on 9,600 jurisdictions (A backdoor federal tax that would be taken back from the states through managing of the funding of social programs such as Medicaid) and additionally Obamacare, the cost to consumers with the insurance burden created by this socialism on our citizens is staggering. But then that is exactly what he said he would do in 2008. Redistribution, right?

The regressive nature of all this falls hardest on the poorest, which should come as no surprise because there are more of them, and progressives believe they know best. In 2008, I wrote in this paper that Obama knew nothing about economics, and I stand by that statement and the damage it could cause. What can be done now? Fire some of those college professors (Professor Jonathan Gruber?) and get some business people in the White House with common sense before it is too late.

Jim Dolan

Durango