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From:
Richar Tennant Date: Sat Mar 24, 2001 1:57 am Subject: 5cents | ||||||||||||
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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 > > 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! > > | ||||||||||||
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