A pure deception. Go to the USPS disclaimer here:
http://www.usps.gov/news/press/99/99045new.htm
Bill
Doug McGarrett wrote:
> Folks outside the US and possessions can stop reading now.
>
> I hope this is not really off-topic, because we
> are using the facilities mentioned to communicate
> with this mail list!
>
> I also hope we haven't been hoaxed, but it sounds
> like the kind of thing you could expect.
>
> I was forwarded the following email:
>
> >> >Contact you Congressional representatives!
> >> >TOLL CHARGE FOR EMAIL. CNN has reported that within the
> >> >next two weeks Congress is going to vote on allowing telephone
> >> >companies
> >> >to CHARGE A TOLL FEE for Internet access. Translation: Every time
> >> >we send
> >> >a long distance e-mail we will receive a long distance charge.
> >> >This will get costly.
> >> >
> >> >Please visit the following web site and file a complaint. Complain
> >> >to
> >> >your Congressperson. We can't allow this to pass! The following
> >> >address
> >> >will allow you to send an e-mail on this subject DIRECTLY to your
> >> >Congressperson. http://www.house.gov/writerep
> >> >
> >> >Pass this on to your friends. It is urgent! I hope all of you
> >> >will
> >> >pass this on to all your friends and family. We should ALL have an
> >> >interest in this one. WAIT, THERE'S MORE. IN ADDITION, 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 your use of the Internet.
> >> >
> >> >Under proposed legislation the U.S. Postal Service will be
> >> >attempting
> >> >to bilk email users out of "alternate postage fees". Bill 602P
> >> >will
> >> >permit the Federal Govt to charge a 5 cent surcharge on every email
> >> >delivered, by billing Internet Service Providers at source. The
> >> >consumer would then be billed in turn by the ISP. Washington D.C.
> >> >lawyer Richard Stepp is working without pay to prevent this
> >> >legislation from becoming law.
> >> >
> >> >The U.S. Postal Service is claiming that lost revenue due to the
> >> >proliferation of email 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 citizen received about
> >> >10
> >> >pieces of email per day in 1998, the cost to the typical individual
> >> >would be an additional 50 cents per day, or over $180 dollars per
> >> >year, above and beyond their regular Internet costs. Note that
> >> >this
> >> >would be money paid directly to the U.S. Postal Service for a
> >> >service they do not even provide.
> >> >
> >> >The whole point of the Internet is democracy and non-interference.
> >> >If the federal government is permitted to tamper with our liberties
> >> >by adding a surcharge to email, who knows where it will end. 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 New York to Buffalo. If the U.S.
> >> >Postal
> >> >Service is allowed to tinker with email, it will mark the end of
> >> >the "free" Internet in the United States.
> >> >
> >> >One congressman, Tony Schnell(r) has even suggested a "twenty to
> >> >forty dollar per month surcharge on all Internet service" above and
> >> >beyond the government's proposed email charges. Note that most of
> >> >the major newspapers have ignored the story, the only exception
> >> >being the Washingtonian which called the idea of email surcharge "a
> >> >useful concept who's time has come"(March 6th, 1999) Editorial.
> >> >
> >> >Don't sit by and watch your freedoms erode away! Send this e-mail
> >> >to EVERYONE on your list TODAY, and tell all your friends and
> >> >relatives
> >> >to write to their congressman 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 don't want.
> >> >
> >> >PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO USES EMAIL
> >> >REMEMBER THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES THAT EFFECT
> >> >ALL OF US ONLINE LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD NOW, NOT AFTER.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Gertrude A. Gibson
> >> >Secretary
> >> >GSIA, Posner Hall 255
> >> >Carnegie Mellon University
> >> >Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
> >> >Office: (412) 268-1337
>
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