Berkeley Councilman Proposes Email Tax To Fund Postal Service

March 7, 2013 11:11 PM

A USPS employee sorts mail. (Brian Kersey/Getty Images)

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BERKELEY (CBS SF) – A Berkeley city councilman has suggested that a tax on email may be wise way to help fund the United States Postal Service, according to the blog Berkeleyside.

District 8 Supervisor Gordon Wozniak, who represents an area that includes the Claremont Hotel and the eastern end of the UC Berkeley campus, made the comments Tuesday as city officials moved to halt the sale of a Post Office building on Allston Way due to a decline in business.

“There should be something like a bit tax. I mean a bit tax could be a cent per-gigabit and they would still make, probably, billions of dollars a year…And there should be, also, a very tiny tax on email,” Wozniak said at Tuesday’s meeting.

Wozniak said this would not only help fund the cash-strapped post office, but also discourage spam. According to Berkeleyside, the idea was even studied by the United Nations in 1999 as a means of funding global communications infrastructure.

The Postal Service, which suffered a $15.9 billion loss in the past budget year, announced plans last month to end regular Saturday mail delivery. The delivery of letters and other mail has plummeted in recent years. Email has decreased the mailing of paper letters, but online purchases have increased package shipping, forcing the Postal Service to adjust to customers’ new habits.

However, much of the service’s red ink comes from a 2006 law forcing it to pay $11 billion a year into future retiree health benefits, something no other agency does. Without that and related labor expenses, the mail agency sustained an operating loss of $2.4 billion last year, lower than the previous year.

http://stuffaintright.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/berkeley-councilman-proposes-email-tax-to-fund-postal-service/ Berkeley Councilman Proposes Email Tax To Fund Postal Service | Stuff Ain't Right

[...] via Berkeley Councilman Proposes Email Tax To Fund Postal Service « CBS San Francisco. [...]
http://goldtent.org/?p=236956 Poster's Paradise » another stupid idea from California

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http://bloviatingzeppelin.net/archives/7312 Berkeley Councilman Proposes Email Tax To Fund Postal Service | Bloviating Zeppelin

[...] From SFCBSLocal.com: [...]
http://www.thedailygouge.com/?p=16926 The Daily Gouge, Friday, March 8th, 2013

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[...] via Berkeley Councilman Proposes Email Tax To Fund Postal Service « CBS San Francisco. [...]
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[...] Leave it to Berkeley, Kalifornia to come up with yet another bad idea. This time, reports the local CBS affil, it’s a city councilman proposing an email tax to fund the post office… [...]
http://patriotupdate.com/2013/03/ca-lawmaker-proposes-e-mail-tax-to-fund-postal-service/ CA Lawmaker Proposes ‘E-Mail Tax’ to Fund Postal Service – Patriot Update

[...] Berkeley city councilman has suggested that a tax on emailmay be wise way to help fund the United States Postal Service, according to the blog [...]
http://personalliberty.com/2013/03/08/obama-sibling-gets-clobbered-in-kenya-race-most-nyc-grads-cant-read-billy-bob-says-scotus-should-strike-down-his-doma-obamacare-means-irs-can-pick-and-choose-audi Obama Sibling Gets Clobbered In Kenya Race, Most NYC Grads Can’t Read, Billy Bob Says SCOTUS Should Strike Down His DOMA, Obamacare Means IRS Can Pick And Choose Audits, Tax On Email To Prop Up USPS?, TSA Succeeds At Failing: Friday Morning News Roundup

[...] novel way to grab revenue for failing Federal programs: Put “a very tiny tax” on email and give the U.S. Postal Service the money. Jurisdiction, schmurisdiction. At least the idea [...]
http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/north-american-politics/145693-really-really-bad-idea-2.html#post3261304 A Really Really Bad Idea! – Page 2 – Religious Education Forum

[...] [...]
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[...] should be something like a bit tax,” Wozniak said, according to CBS Berkeley. “I mean a bit tax could be a cent per-gigabit and they would still make, probably, billions of [...]
http://randpaulryan.com/dumb-desperate-or-good-idea-calif-councilman-proposes-email-tax-to-keep-postal-service-funded/ Dumb, Desperate Or Good Idea? Calif. Councilman Proposes Email Tax To Keep Postal Service Funded

[...] suggested that an “email tax” might be required to keep United States Postal Service funded, CBS San Francisco reports, citing the blog [...]
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[...] suggested that an “email tax” might be required to keep United States Postal Service funded, CBS San Francisco reports, citing the blog [...]
http://www.chrisjonesmedia.com/2013/03/08/dumb-desperate-or-good-idea-calif-councilman-proposes-email-tax-to-keep-postal-service-funded/ Dumb, Desperate Or Good Idea? Calif. Councilman Proposes Email Tax To Keep Postal Service Funded — Chris Jones Media

[...] that an “email tax” might be required to keep United States Postal Service funded, CBS San Francisco reports, citing the blog [...]
http://www.ethernut.net/berkeley-councilman-tax-e-mail-tax-each-gigabyte-gordon-wozniak-really-wants-to-help-the-post-office/ Berkeley Councilman: Tax E-mail! Tax Each Gigabyte! – Gordon Wozniak Really Wants to Help the Post Office »

[...] Postal Service’s dwindling funds. “There should be something like a bit tax,” insisted District 8 Berkeley Supervisor Gordon Wozniak this week. “I mean a bit tax could be a cent per-gigabit and they would still make, probably, [...]
http://bazaardaily.com/2013/03/08/berkeley-councilman-wants-to-tax-you-for-every-e-mail-you-send/ Berkeley councilman wants to TAX you for every e-mail you send | Bazaar Daily News

[...] should be something like a bit tax,” Wozniak said, according to CBS Berkeley. “I mean a bit tax could be a cent per-gigabit and they would still make, probably, billions of [...]
http://www.inquisitr.com/563051/email-tax-proposed-in-effort-to-save-us-post-office/ Email Tax Proposed In Effort To Save US Post Office

[...] idea of an email tax was first considered in 1999. The United Nations considered such a tax on online correspondence to [...]
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[...] (Third column, 21st story, link) [...]
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[...] should be something like a bit tax,” Wozniak said, according to CBS Berkeley. “I mean a bit tax could be a cent per-gigabit and they would still make, probably, billions [...]