-----Original Message-----
From: phil osborn <philosborn@hotmail.com>
To: extropians@extropy.com <extropians@extropy.com>
Date: Friday, December 03, 1999 10:50 PM
Subject: Re: internet postal surcharge
>I just received this from Brian Hanish: thought it ought to be passed on.
>Don't know if it's real yet. Brian is usually pretty reliable.
>
>>
>> >CNN has reported that within the next two weeks Congress is going to
vote
>>on >allowing telephone companies to CHARGE A TOLL FEE for Internet access.
>> > >Translation: Every time we send a long distance e-mail we will receive
>>a long >distance charge. This will get costly. Please visit the following
>>web
>site
>>and >file a complaint to your Congressperson. We can't allow this to
pass!
>The
>> >following address will allow you tosend an e-mail on this subject
>DIRECTLY
>>to >your Congressperson. http://www.house.gov/writerep > >Pass this on to
>>your friends. It is urgent! I hope all of you will pass this on >to all
>>your friends and family. We should ALL have an interest in this one. >
>> >WAIT, THERE'S MORE! IN ADDITION, 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 e-mail costing nearly
>>$230,000,000 in >revenue per year. (Oh, isn't that too bad?) 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 non-interference. 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 inefficiency. 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 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 602P. It will only
>>take a few moments of your time, and >could very well be instrumental in
>>killing a bill we don't want. > >PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO
USES
>>EMAIL REMEMBER THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE >ISSUES THAT EFFECT ALL OF US ONLINE
>>LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD > >NOW, NOT AFTER. >
>***************************************************************************
>89747
>
>
>No way lets not let this happen
>Brian
>
>
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