Fwd: Fw: e-mail

> I 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 o=
> f
> > > 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 deli=
> vered
> > > 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 Our
> > > 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 to E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your
> > > friends and relatives 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.