Subject: 5 cent charge for email
> > Friday, January 04, 2002 5:09 PM > > Subject: E-Mail Charge > > > 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 > > > > > > > noninterference. You are already paying an exorbitant price for > > > > > > > snail mail because of bureaucratic inefficiency. 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. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > PLEASE FORWARD! >
