A Tax The Obama Administration Opposes

The Obama administration has found a tax it opposes. Not here in America, but in the United Kingdom. A statement issued late today from the State Department says that the American government opposes the congestion tax that London imposes on traffic coming into the city. State says the tax "is prohibited by various treaties, including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations; the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations; our 1951 bilateral Consular Agreement with the United Kingdom; and the NATO Status of Forces Agreement." Mayor Bloomberg tried unsuccessfully to impose a similar tax in New York City, but I don't recall international law ever being raised as an objection. The State Department leaves unclear whether the American objection relates to the imposition of the tax on British subjects or to American diplomats.