Spanish-American War Tax To End

Just how expensive was that war? Have we seriously been in debt for 108 years from that action? Or is it much more likely that the Gov is simply greedy and doesnt give up a stream of revenue no matter how little they have to stand on?

From the Denver Post.

Washington - The Treasury Department, conceding that it has no right to continue collecting a 108-year-old tax on long- distance telephone calls, announced Thursday that it will drop its legal battle for the tax and instead refund $13 billion to callers who have paid the tax in the past three years.

The 3 percent tax, enacted in 1898 to help pay for the Spanish-American War and revised in 1965, has been declared illegal by five federal courts of appeal during the past year as the result of challenges brought by companies forced to pay it.

Props to the Colorado Libertarian Party Blog for this.