Rep. Ron Paul (R-Lake Jackson) is co-sponsoring the Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2009, a bill that would do away with a tax that was originally enacted to help fund the Spanish-American War of 1898. The 110-year-old tax was initially enacted as a “temporary” tax to provide military funding during a time when a telephone was considered a luxury item. Paul said the legislation was outdated and repealing the tax would help people keep more money in their pockets at a time when they sorely need the extra cash. “In these tough economic times, every little bit of tax...