Original Posted By: Richard DeCosta
Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay online andcontinue using email: 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 toprevent this legislation from becoming law.The U.S. Postal Service is claiming that lost revenue due to theproliferation of email is costing nearly $230,000,000 in revenue peryear. You may have noticed their recent ad campaign "There isnothing like a letter". Since the average citizen received about 10pieces of email per day in 1998, the cost to the typical individualwould be an additional 50 cents per day, or over $180 dollars peryear, above and beyond their regular Internet costs. Note thatthis would be money paid directly to the U.S. Postal Service for aservice they do not even provide. The whole point of the Internetis democracy and non-interference. If the federal government ispermitted to tamper with our liberties by adding a surcharge toemail, who knows where it will end. You are already paying anexorbitant price for snail mail because of bureaucratic efficiency.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 willmark the end of the "free" Internet in the United States. Onecongressman, Tony Schnell =AE has even suggested a "twenty toforty dollar per month surcharge on all Internet service" aboveand beyond the government's proposed email charges. Note thatmost of the major newspapers have ignored the story, the onlyexception being the Washingtonian which called the idea of emailsurcharge "a useful concept who's time has come" (March 6th1999 Editorial. Don't sit by and watch your freedoms erode away!Send this e-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all yourfriends 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.________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Could this be true?
Pietenpol-List: Re: Could this be true?
Original Posted By: dannymac
No, this is not true, it is most definately a hoax. Someone withwaaaaaay too much time on their hands starting trouble again. For adetailed explanation of this hoax, go here: http://www.skali.com.my/technology/lea/ ... .htmlThere is also a statement on the US Postal Service home page saying itis a hoax: http://www.usps.gov/Happy surfing all.Richard--- dannymac wrote:> Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay online> and> continue using email: 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 email 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 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 efficiency.> > > 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 =AE 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 who's 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.> ==="Lady, you want me to answer you if this old airplane is safe to fly? Just howin the world do you think it got to be this old?" - Jim Tavenner---------------------------------------------------------Visit www.AirCamper.org - A Low 'n Slow Online Community!---------------------------------------------------------My homepage: http://www.AirCamper.org/w3builder_____ ... __________
No, this is not true, it is most definately a hoax. Someone withwaaaaaay too much time on their hands starting trouble again. For adetailed explanation of this hoax, go here: http://www.skali.com.my/technology/lea/ ... .htmlThere is also a statement on the US Postal Service home page saying itis a hoax: http://www.usps.gov/Happy surfing all.Richard--- dannymac wrote:> Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay online> and> continue using email: 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 email 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 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 efficiency.> > > 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 =AE 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 who's 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.> ==="Lady, you want me to answer you if this old airplane is safe to fly? Just howin the world do you think it got to be this old?" - Jim Tavenner---------------------------------------------------------Visit www.AirCamper.org - A Low 'n Slow Online Community!---------------------------------------------------------My homepage: http://www.AirCamper.org/w3builder_____ ... __________
Pietenpol-List: Re: Could this be true?
Original Posted By: Mike Lund
Richard DeCosta wrote:> > No, this is not true, it is most definately a hoax. Someone with> waaaaaay too much time on their hands starting trouble again. For a> detailed explanation of this hoax, go here:> > http://www.skali.com.my/technology/lea/ ... 22_36.html> > There is also a statement on the US Postal Service home page saying it> is a hoax: http://www.usps.gov/> > Happy surfing all.> Richard> Thanks Richard, You helped soothe MY Feathers!________________________________________________________________________________
Richard DeCosta wrote:> > No, this is not true, it is most definately a hoax. Someone with> waaaaaay too much time on their hands starting trouble again. For a> detailed explanation of this hoax, go here:> > http://www.skali.com.my/technology/lea/ ... 22_36.html> > There is also a statement on the US Postal Service home page saying it> is a hoax: http://www.usps.gov/> > Happy surfing all.> Richard> Thanks Richard, You helped soothe MY Feathers!________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Re: Could this be true?
Original Posted By: bholbrook
This same hoax came out a few monthes ago but at that time it was CanadaPost that was the target. Check with the source at for teh real story.KenOn Sat, 5 Jun 1999, dannymac wrote:> Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay online> and> continue using email: 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.________________________________________________________________________________
This same hoax came out a few monthes ago but at that time it was CanadaPost that was the target. Check with the source at for teh real story.KenOn Sat, 5 Jun 1999, dannymac wrote:> Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay online> and> continue using email: 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.________________________________________________________________________________