DeTomaso Mailing List: October 2000, Message #80

Someone just forwarded this e-mail to me.....I know several of you have
followed this issue and I am sure everyone would appreciate an analysis or
update if anyone has one.
thanks
MD



>Subject: VOTE NO ON BILL 602P!
>
>
>> >   > > > >
>> >   > > > >   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 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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