Loyd I want to thank you and others who have kept me abreast of this situation -- every year this has come up since Arpanet and BBSing first started and it still comes up. Although they consider it a "hoax" similar to the urban legends, it is always a possibility that it COULD BECOME REALITY. So I keep listening and writing to congresspersons, etc. Back in March I thought I had forwarded this following to everyone connected with Indiana USGenWeb Project and my friends (you included, Loyd, -- although Gary didn't get it I don't believe). Perhaps I thought I did or something happened to the transmission or receipt of same. Because of this I am forwarding to you again as it has a url you can go to from FCC info on this subject. Judy M. (next item is what I had forwarded back in March): >Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 10:02:35 -0700 >From: William Buchanan <bucksr@earthlink.net> >Subject: Re: Fwd: please take action URGENT > >Congresswoman Heather Wilson >226 Cannon House Office Building >Washington, DC 20515 > >Dear Bill: > > Thank you for contacting me to express your concern about >reports >that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is planning to impose >per-minute usage charges on consumer access to Internet Service >Providers. >I appreciate hearing from you. > > In short, the rumor is incorrect. At the bottom of this letter >I have included the link to a press release from the FCC that should >answer your questions. As the release says, "the decision preserves the rule >that exempts the Internet and other information services from interstate >access charges. This means that those consumers who continue to access the >Internet by dialing a seven-digit number will not incur long distance charges >when they do so. " Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this >situation in case the FCC changes its mind. > > Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to do so >again >in the future, should the need arise. > > Sincerely, > > Heather Wilson > > >http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrcc9014.html > ><http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrcc9014.html> > > > > At 02:38 PM 5/16/1999 -0400, Loyd Fleming wrote: >Good afternoon everyone, > pursuant to the message that I recently sent to you all, concerning >congressional action on a bill to enact by the minute charges for the use of >the internet, I received a reply from Congressman Ken Lucas. I am attaching >a JPG file of the letter and a scanned and OCR copy for your observation. >The first sentence in the next to last paragraph is what concerns me. I >urge you all to contact your congressman in support of ISPs. H.R. 1291. >cousin Loyd > >KEN LUCAS > > OFFICES: >1237 Longworth House Office Building >Washington, D.C. 20515 >(202) 225-3465 > >277 Buttermilk Pike >Fort Mitchell, KY 41017 >(606) 426-0080 > >1405 Greenup Avenue, Suite 236 >Ashland, KY 41011 >(606) 324-9898 > >Web Site: http://www.house.gov/kenlucas/ >Email: write.kenlucas@mail.house.gov > > >May 10, 1999 > >Mr. Loyd T. Fleming >7746 Ravenswood Dr. >Florence, KY 41042 > >Dear Loyd: > >Thank you for sharing your concerns about potential consumer charges for >access to the Internet. Like you, I use the Internet to find information and >communicate with friends. I believe the Internet would not have grown as >rapidly if users had been required to pay per-minute telephone rates for >Internet access. > >In recent weeks, there has been speculation that the Federal Communications >Commission (FCC) was planning to impose per-minute charges on calls to >Internet Service Providers (ISPs). However, the FCC has indicated that it >has "no intention of assessing per-minute charges on Internet traffic or >changing the way in which consumers obtain and pay for access to the >Internet." > >Much of this speculation appears to have arisen because of a separate >discussion about "reciprocal compensation." This is an issue involving >carrier-to-carrier payments, or compensation that is paid between telephone >companies for the use of the local telephone network. These transactions are >not normally visible to consumers. > >While the FCC has no current plans to impose charges for Internet access, >the recent ruling potentially leaves the door open for future charges. To >prevent this, I have cosponsored a bill to prohibit the FCC from assessing >taxes or fees on local calls to ISPs. H.R. 1291 ensures that consumers will >continue to access to the Internet free of unwarranted government >intervention. > >I appreciate knowing that you are also committed to making certain the >Internet remains accessible and affordable and hope you will continue to >stay in touch. > >Sincerely, Ken Lucas > >Member of Congress > KL:ts >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >Yours in friendship, kinship and the search for family history, >Loyd T. Fleming CPO USN Ret. >7746 Ravenswood Dr., Florence, KY 41042-2526 Ph. (606) 371-9583) >E-MAIL <chief@intcom.net> >ged-to-html at: ><http://www.cornell-Iowa.edu/personal_web/bcantrall/personal/cantrall/html-f >leming/PERSONS.html> >Note: include the two dashes,one underscore and make the word "PERSONS" >in uppercase. >This file is posted compliments of Bruce Cantrall ><http://www.cornell-iowa.edu/personal_web/bcantrall/> > > >Attachment Converted: "C:\ERINET\EUDORA\INCOMING\KenLucas.jpg" >