said by markofmayhem 
:And if the problem was on "your end", they usually just fixed it and left without saying a word. They also weren't taxed to the point that 15-20% of your bill was going to lawmakers.
The FUSF fee was collected by Verizon, reported to the FCC as collected, then spent on whatever Verizon chose. Verizon isn't "pocketing" new money, they've always pocketed the FUSF fee. That's how they provided "free" internet to schools and libraries AND got a tax write-off for doing it, maybe even subsidized funding in certain places. I don't know about other states, but here in PA, Verizon has collected billions upon billions of taxes, whether through their own collecting or through the state sales and income taxes.
Nothing new, different wording, vote out the corporate controlled lawmakers allowing this to happen.
Where do I start? I'll keep it simple and just address one of your misunderstandings. In the days of the Bell System there was no *your end*. It was all Bell System, designed, manufactured and maintained. If your phone had a frayed cord the Telephone Man came out and replaced it. 
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