Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Thomas A. Beckett" <thomas AT tbeckett.com>]

You're jumping the gun!  April Fool's Day isn't until tomorrow.  

TaB

Andy Naylor wrote:
> 
> Subject: Fw: Federal Bill 602P- 5 cents per e-mail
> 
> Vote NO on Bill 602P
> 
> Guess the warnings were true. Federal Bill 602P - 5 cents per E-mail
> sent. It figures! No more free E-mail! We knew this was coming!! Bill
> 602P will permit the Federal Government to charge a 5-cent charge on every
> delivered E-mail. Please read the following carefully if you intend to
> stay online and continue using E-mail.
> The last few months have revealed an alarming trend in the Government
> of the United States attempting to quietly push through legislation that
> will affect our use of the Internet. Under proposed legislation, the US
> Postal Service will be attempting to bill E-mail users out of
> "alternative postage fees." Bill 602P will permit the Federal Government to
> charge a 5-cent surcharge on every E-Mail delivered, by billing Internet
> Service Providers at source. The consumer would then be billed in turn by
> the ISP. Washington DC lawyer Richard Stepp is working without pay to
> prevent this legislation from becoming law. The US Postal Service is
> claiming lost
> revenue, due to the proliferation of E-mail, is costing nearly
> $230,000,000 in revenue per year. You may have noticed their recent ad
> campaign: "There is nothing like a letter." Since the average person
> received
> about 10 pieces of E-mail per day in 1998, the cost of the typical
> individual would be an additional 50 cents a day - or over $180 per year -
> above and beyond their regular Internet costs.
> Note that this would be money paid directly to the US Postal Service
> for a service they do not even provide.
> The whole point of the Internet is democracy and non-interference. You
> are already paying an exorbitant price for snail mail because of
> bureaucratic efficiency. It currently takes up to 6 days for a letter to be
> delivered from coast to coast. If the US Postal Service is allowed to
> tinker with E-mail,  it will mark the end of the "free" Internet in the
> United States. Congressional representative, Tony Schnell (r) has even
> suggested a"$20-$40 per month surcharge on all Internet service" above
> and  beyond
> the governments proposed E-mail charges. Note that most of the major
> newspapers have ignored the story the only exception being the
> Washingtonian which called the idea of E-mail surcharge "a useful concept
> who's
> time has come" (March 6th, 1999 Editorial). Do not sit by and watch your
> freedom erode away!
> Send this E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your friends
> and relatives to write their congressional representative and say "NO" to
> Bill 602P. It will only take a few moments of your time and could very
> well be instrumental in killing a bill we do not want.
> 
> ---
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