California is considering a proposal to charge a text messaging fee to fund social programs that make mobile phone service accessible to low-income residents.
The California Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on the controversial proposal next month, according to Fox News.
Cell phone owners are understandably upset about the proposal to tax text messages. The charges would impact heavy users who send thousands of text messages a month.
The Commission is also considering applying the charges retroactively to messages sent in the past 5 years. That means consumers could be hit with hundreds of dollars in fees for text messages they sent 5 years ago.
The state tax would be costly for teenagers and young adults who use text messaging more than any other mode of communication. Some teens send 1,500 to 3,000 text messages a month.
“It’s a dumb idea,” Jim Wunderman, president of the Bay Area Council business group, told the San Jose Mercury News. “This is how conversations take place in this day and age, and it’s almost like saying there should be a tax on the conversations we have.”
While the amount the Commission will charge for texts isn’t clear, some business groups are saying the new fees could cost wireless users more than $44 million a year, FOX11 Los Angeles reported.
Rufus Jeffress, Vice President of the Bay Area Council, told KNTV-TV the new proposal sets an “alarming precedent” and could cost California residents more than $220 million, the Mercury News reported.
The Wireless industry argues that the fees would put carriers at a disadvantage since competing messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger would not be charged the new fees, FOX11 reported.
Residents are fed up with high taxes in California. A tax on text messaging is not welcome news to residents who are already burdened with the high cost of living.
“To have them charge us something else is just dumb,” a Bay Area resident told KNTV. “I think it’s very unfair, especially for the people that can barely pay for their cell phone plan already.”
Photo by Hero Images/Getty Images
Wow I can’t afford to live or Text in Cali! ??
Hell No! That would be insane!!!!!!
Retroactive charges though?! FOH!
How would this even work? Everyone ALREADY PAYS for text messaging as part of their cell plan. This is dumb cause everyone will just find a work around and use free texting apps and the gov’t won’t make it’s money.
First net neutrality gets demolished and now this. Not cool Cali, not cool.
Well, it’s California, what do you expect? They have run out of other people’s money to spend, so now they have to find something else to tax.
Well this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m all for helping the low income people and the downright poor but guess what, not everyone needs a cell phone, PERIOD! If you have a roof over your head and food to eat, those are things that you NEED! Making residents pay to ensure that they have a cell phone is a total abuse of power.
Man f that if I lived there I would be calling auntie that lived in another state and asking if I could use her address.
That’s gotta be the stupidest thing ever
I don’t think this will fly. Too many people use it as their primary means of communication.
And how are you gonna retroactively charge somebody for something?! They would have used it less had they known they were being taxed.
*mutters*People be trippin…
Stupid.
I dont see this getting approved.
Fire whoever came up with this dumb idea!!!
Well I barley talk or text so I’m good…but more tax?…any kind of way to make their pockets fatter…smh..
people on food stamps already get a free smart phone and free service in Cali. They shouldn’t have made this a thing if they weren’t able to pay for it.
And in Maryland.
How are they charging for that cell companies give for free. Always a money grab and I highly doubt this money will go to the right place.
Sounds like they are doing this for the illegal immigrants.
Cali is a one party state whatever the state wants it will pass.
Wow
Its ridiculous, we pay a tax to breath here, SMDH. We already pay state, local, federal, city, county, property and a car tax. PLUS, almost $4 a gallon for gas. I’ve lived in Cali my entire life, but I can’t wait to move. Selling (cashing out) my home next year and buying in a another state where I can live comfortably with less taxation.
I’m so glad that I left California. Taxed to death out west
If this goes through, Kamala Harris can forget about being on the Democratic ticket.
Not going to happen…why….because it would affect too many yt pepo
This!! If they can’t afford a cell phone they don’t need it. Cut that mess out. Get a job stop having babies you can’t afford and maybe you can afford a cell phone.
They simple solution to this situation in reinstall phone booths and use that to fund the “social programs.” Bullshat.
why?
She’s part of the federal government not the state.
When can the working class benefit from some of these programs? A good paying job isn’t even a good paying job when you factor in all of the fees, taxes, insurances, etc., smh…something’s gotta give!
yeah this is a dumb idea….dont see it going nowhere,….
I will stop texting.
I had paid texting before. Too much money .
This will force mew to call & interact differently with folks. Cause I ain’t paying.
I’m telling you….
If my carrier tried this there would be some people that I would never communicate with because I don’t want to talk in the first place. I shut down Facebook because I don’t want to subliminally communicate either.
why text via phone when you can “text” via facebook, instagram, and/or twitter? snapchat?
Welp! It looks like I’ll be using Morse codes and smoke signals to let my boss know when I’m late to work. I barely text or call anyone.
That’s why I leave all my options open. I generally vote a straight democrat ticket but LOCALLY if they start talking that tax this tax that talk I cross over and vote republican. But nowadays people got to pay real close attention since the new type of republicans like to spend spend spend. Look at the president looking for 5 billion for a stupid wall after he already blew the roof on the budget and deficit.
Every one doesn’t believe in social sites. I personal have none of the above. I get just enough drama from media sites and there comment sections.
Time repeating itself. Didn’t we go through this in the 90s and early 2000s? .10 to .25 cents per text.. no thanks
Where is Dub with the Stevie braille. ?
Who came up with this bright idea??? And to make it retro active five years??? This sounds made up…cuz there is no way most folks could even afford to think about paying such fees like this let alone actually pay them. Impose this silliness on the big social media platforms, not for something that has become necessity.
Who TF came up with this shet???
?……….. California need to stop.
Right!
This mess just sounds crazy
Cali be going in
Time to pull out the cans and strang in a minute sheesh….
Please keep this in Cali. I already have enough bills as it is now.
If my cellular company ain’t chargin’, State need mind their business. Dont pull this in Texas. People gonna start shootin’.
This has to be fake news
Socialists
I don’t have it neither