OT!! US Postal Service Wants You to Pay for Using E-mail!!

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I just got word from a friend that there is a move afoot by Congress to pass legislation for a surcharge on email to benefit the US Postal Service, which is whining about lost revenues. Would'nt it be nice if we could all feather our nests this way? Below is a note that others may like to use and send to thier congressman:

Dear Congressman:

It has recently come to my attention that new legislation has been proposed by the U.S. Postal Service. This legislation, Bill 602p would impose a surcharge on all delivered email, to make up for an alleged shortfall in the Service's revenue. I don't have much detail info on this except that it is being kept very quiet on Capital Hill.

As a frequent user of both email and the postal service for business correspondence, I am vehemently opposed to this arbitrary and clandestine proposed legislation. It is offensive to me that my government would consider the measure of charging for a service that it does not perform to support an institution which should be self supporting. AS a member of your constituency, I request that you oppose Bill 602P, and I will vigorously encourgage my neighbors and business associate to do likewise.

-- Watcher7 (anon@anon.com), September 11, 1999

Answers

Urban Legend

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), September 11, 1999.

Tinfoils - ya gotta laugh at them, not with them...

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blemtax2.htm?pid=2733&cob=home

-- Y2K Pro (y2kpro1@hotmail.com), September 11, 1999.


Cherri and y2k Amateur,

Did you see how the US Postal Service (Mail Service) scored on Congressman Horn's "Report Card" yesterday??

Any comments??

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), September 11, 1999.


The USPS has a government granted monopoly on non-priority mail delivery. This is why I laughed every time George C. Scott did a radio commercial for them stating how they don't use tax revenue. Technically correct, but higher prices due to a legal monopoly is still a tax in my book. Anyway, if I remember properly, they attempted the same stunt when faxes started to receive widespread use. Needless to say, it didn't get far.

-- Chris Tisone (c_tisone@hotmail.com), September 11, 1999.

Cheri and Y2K Pro:

THanks for identifing this as a hoax. Sys operator: Please delete this thread.

-- WAtcher7 (anon@anon.com), September 11, 1999.



Nah, it's not a hoax or an urban legend. There has definitely been talk about the email intrusion on snail mail, by both the USPS and the Govt. There have also been attempts made to challenge the telephony aspect of Internet by major telcos, with an eye to charging for that use, and to subsidize their own lost revenues.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

This is a hoax. Telcos might want additional revenue, true, but that will be a fight bigger than any in Congress are now willing to take on...

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

Gordon -

Not only is it a hoax, it has a truly incredible "shelf-life". Check some hoax-buster sites (e.g., CIAC or Symantec) and you'll see it's been around for quite a while.

I had two completely different contacts forward the "USPS e-mail/Bill 602p" message to me in the space of a few weeks. I sent them info on it and provided URLs to hoax-buster sites. One contact was grateful, the other got a bit testy with me for some reason. *sigh*

"What are the facts, and to how many decimal places?" -- R.A. Heinlein

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), September 11, 1999.


myth--however it seems logical when you look at how much trouble the postal service is in and the fact that email has certainly cut into their business area. let's just say that if you EVER see this truly proposed--send letters to the who ever is proposing it. it is a good way to get legislation defeated.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), September 11, 1999.

I'm more concerned about the UN doing this. The UN wants to have a 1 cent tax for every 100 or so emails. This would be to raise $$$ for 3rd-world countries that can't develop this technology on their own.

This was widely reported in the press, for those who wish to do a 'net search. I don't have links handy.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), September 11, 1999.



Learn more about the hoax here.

-- (hoax@b.s), September 11, 1999.

They should give up, let Fedex do the big stuff, and get into the ISP business. That would make a kool e-mail address:

Sysman@usps.gov

Then again, maybe not...

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 11, 1999.


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