>>Subject: Paying for E-Mail
>>
>>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. Our
>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 6th, 1999 Editorial).  Do not sit by and watch your freedom
>erode
>>away!  Send this to 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.

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