Phone Tax

* Re a long-distance phone surcharge to help Indians, April 18: After making billions of tax-free dollars from casinos, we the taxpayers have to subsidize American Indian telephones. Before the election, they were advertising that they need casinos and slot machines to make them self-supporting and to help other Indians who don’t have resources, housing, schools, etc. Now we have to pay for their phones and Internet. What’s next?

M.V. MLIKOTIN

Los Angeles

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Bill Clinton unveiled yet another government program, this time aimed at providing basic telephone service for American Indians, a convenience that some Indians presently do not enjoy. Clinton said this program will be paid for by an assessment against long-distance telephone companies.

Anyone who thinks this cost will not be added to your future telephone bill probably believes O.J. Simpson is innocent. The government manages to disguise the true nature of such hidden taxes so that the public is unaware they are paying for yet another form of taxation.

JAY KARELIUS

Granada Hills