posted March 28, 2000 10:01 PM            

It figures!: No more free E-mail?

We knew this was coming!! Bill 602P will
permit the Federal Govt. 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 your use of the Internet.

Under proposed legislation the US Postal Service will be attempting to bill E-mail users out of "alternate postage fees."
Bill 602P will permit the Federal Govt. 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 that revenue due to the proliferation of e-mail is costing nearly $230,000,000 in revenue per year. You may have seen their recent ad campaign "There is nothing like a letter."

Since the average person receives about 10 pieces of E-mail 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 US Postal Service for a service they do not even provide.

The whole point of the Internet is democracy & 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 New York to Buffalo.

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. 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 E-mail 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, and tell all your friends and relatives to write to their congressman and say "No!" to Bill 602-P.

It will only take a few moments of your time, and could very well be instrumental in killing a bill we don't want.

posted March 28, 2000 10:10 PM            

------------------
"Get Juiced and Stay Loyal"

posted March 28, 2000 10:15 PM            

Think about it, companies offer free internet service now because of the competition...so do you think that now they will start charging for e-mail??

posted March 28, 2000 10:18 PM            

A similar bill was proposed at that time, not by the post office but by someone....don't rememeber who.

I emailed my congressman, from whom I received a written response, and he voted against the bill. It works. Too many people use email.

Fuck the Post Office. It's called progress. I don't crank start my car either.

posted March 28, 2000 10:37 PM            

For example, the Post Office IS NOT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY, it is a private agency. However, in the ANTI-DRUG ABUSE ACT OF 1988(Sec.6251) the federal government gave them the right to serve warrants,subpoenas,make arrests, carry weapons,and make seizures in matters involving mail.

In 1990 CONGRESS, At the DEA's request declared steroids illegal, and steroid derivatives in the same category as opium. Attorney General Stuart Gerson declared,"steroids are in reality poisons that are destroying the HEALTH and integrity of athletes...and the public in general.

posted March 28, 2000 10:44 PM            

But anyway, my attention was on the so called 'bill' that you replied about and I was just commenting on it...being a hoax...

posted March 29, 2000 12:07 PM            

GLAD ITS A HOAX

damn