Well, here we go again...
This sounds like a bad deal... what do you think? Sounds like your congressman needs to get flooded with letters to protest this. I don't know about you, but I would go broke if this passed, considering the amount of email I send out on a daily basis!!!...lol :) Regards, Rhonda > >> > Subject: US stamps for e-mails > >> > > >> > Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay on-line > >> > and continue using email: > >> > > >> > 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 > >> > noninterference. 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 efficiency. 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 whose time has come" (March 6th 1999 Editorial) > >> > > >> > Don't sit by and watch your freedom erode away! Send this email to > >> > all Americans on your list and tell your friends and relatives to > >> > write to their congressman and say "No!" to Bill 602P. > >> > > >> > Kate Turner > >> > Assistant to Richard Stepp, Berger, Stepp and Gorman > >> > Attorneys at Law > >> > 216 Concorde Street, Vienna, VA > >> > > >> > URGENT!!!! Pass this along to all your email buddies
