>: Subject: MUST READ and PASS ALONG > >: > > >: > Here it comes. > >: > > >: > We Knew this was coming!! Bill 602P will permit the Federal > >: > Govt. to charge a 5 cent charge on every delivered email. > >: > 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 lost 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 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 US Postal > >: > Service for a service they do not even provide. The whole point > >: > of the Internet is democracy & non-interference. > >: > > >: > If the federal government is permitted to tamper with it then > >: > it all 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 US 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 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. You can also go to www.vote.com and vote > >: > on taxing the Internet. It is one of the active items being > >: > voted on. > >: > > >: > Your input will be sent to your congress people and the White > >: > House. > >: > > >: > It will only take a few moments of your time, and could very > >: > well be instrumental in killing a bill we don't want. > >: > > >:

-- ... (...@...com), March 24, 2000

Answers

This BULL SHIT doesn't stop circulating, does it? and watch out for the good times virus, too.

pfoo

-- email address (email@adress.com), March 24, 2000.

Aliens ate my Buick.

Soon they will come and eat yours too . . .

Dont go feeling safe just cuz you dont own a Buick . . the alien leader told me they eat any brand. They're not fussy.

It must be true, you read it on the Internet.

-- 404(Not Found) (disinfo@GIGO.com), March 24, 2000.

Please got to www.urbanlegends.com. You will see this fraud there, as well as others. It is actually a remarkable site which tells much about human nature.

Question: Does the Y2K scare belong on that site?(tounge in cheek).

There has never been a bill 602P.....................

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.thinkthinkthink), March 24, 2000.

From http://www.usps.gov/news/email.htm

here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 21, 1999 Release No. 99-045

E-MAIL RUMOR COMPLETELY UNTRUE

WASHINGTONA completely false rumor concerning the U.S. Postal Service is being circulated on Internet e-mail. As a matter of fact, the Postal Service has learned that a similar hoax occurred recently in Canada concerning Canada Post.

The e-mail message claims that a "Congressman Schnell" has introduced "Bill 602P" to allow the federal government to impose a 5-cent surcharge on each e-mail message delivered over the Internet. The money would be collected by Internet Service Providers and then turned over to the Postal Service.

No such proposed legislation exists. In fact, no "Congressman Schnell" exists.

The U.S. Postal Service has no authority to surcharge e-mail messages sent over the Internet, nor would it support such legislation.

-- Links R Us (look@learn.be.amazed), March 24, 2000.

5 cents for each email sent? Yeah...right..surrrrre.....

And Elvis is shacking up with Marilyn Monroe in the Bermuda Triangle ;-)

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), March 24, 2000.

602P isn't even a valid designation for a bill in Congress.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), March 24, 2000.

Lisa Zach fell for this, along with the y2k hype/rumors. Just goes to show how much "research" people are actually doing on the internet!

have a laugh at the doomers expense!

-- (....@....... is an idiot), March 24, 2000.

geez, Rob (maxovrdrv51@hotmail.com) sure missed it, didn't he?

Bwahahahahahaha! (for those who didn't go read that thread, there is a VERY humourous exchange on "gullibility"!)

-- some (people's@kids.are.silly), March 24, 2000.

yes I did post that on TB2000. But if you actually read the thread, I prefaced it with I didn't verify it's authenticity.

Doomer? yes I was. Idiot, no I am not. Hundreds of hours of Internet research? Hardly....I workded in it everyday for 2 and a half years. Get your facts straight.

Glad you enjoyed a giggle at my expense.

Have a good afternoon!

-- LZach (lisa@texasnetworks.com), March 24, 2000.

You tell 'em, Zach!

-- semper paratus (here_with@my.pals), March 24, 2000.