Subject: FW: AGAIN ? US Postal Service Tax on E Mail

> >Received
> >I 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 noninterference. 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 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 6,  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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