[im3w1l]

I used to think a broadband tax was a good idea, but I now worry that it would give politicians too much leverage over content producers.

It is easy to see how they would try to ban porn, non-mainstream ideology and other inconvinient content from the system.

[skylan_q]

With just a little imagination:

80% tax on broadband to fund advertising of gov't propaganda on the web, to crack down on un-pc opinion and to help verify your personal identity for every action on the web that you take.

[dredmorbius]

too much leverage

The wars over public broadcasters are a significant case in point.

That said, the opposite of bad governance is not no governance but GOOD governance.

Among the reason public broadcasting entities are so vigorously opposed is that they are independent (to some extent) from the "commercial realities" of publishing and broadcast.

A system designed with no explicit limitations on who can or cannot be paid (or what works qualify) is an ultimate argument for "let the public decide". I actually differ from this in part through some selection and graduated payment system proposals -- there is fast-and-easy work which really doesn't require much incentive to produce, and highly detailed work which does require resources (e.g., international investigative journalism, scientific research).

I do see a need for graduated payment scales.