Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Don't be too sure... http://www.urbanlegends.com/ulz/emailtax.html Jeffery Smith New Orleans, LA > -----Original Message----- > From: Steve LeHuray [mailto:icommag@toad.net] > Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 8:03 PM > To: Leica; SP; LEG > Subject: FW: Bill 602P - E-Mail Surcharge > > > > > > > I received this e-mail this morning from Rita O'Brennan, who is the > President of a trade association, MPA, for professional film & video > shooters. > > Personnaly I get so many e-mails everyday I can not imagine having to pay > this surcharge. If you do the math you will see this will become a hefty > daily fee. For me about $15 every day X 30 days a month=$450 a month. > > Thought you all might like to know. > > sl > > > > Subject: Bill 602P - E-Mail Surcharge > Date: Wed, Dec 26, 2001, 10:42 AM > > > 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 non-interference. 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 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. > > 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-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your friends, > associates 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. > > > > PLEASE FORWARD > > ==^================================================================ > This email was sent to: jsmith45@bellsouth.net > > EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8PXs.a9CgzE > Or send an email to: leica-unsubscribe@topica.com > > T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! > http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register > ==^================================================================ > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html