Got this from OB/Gyn department chair today. Anyone know anything about
this?
--
Gordon M. Goldman, M.D., FACOG
Private Practice, St. Louis, Mo.
"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 E-mailt to
EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your friends and relatives 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."
