================= Begin forwarded message ================= From: fs332@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jim Walton) To: PAVENANG-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Unidentified subject! Date: Thu, 03 Jun paunion-l@rootsweb.com,pasnyder-l@rootsweb.com Subject: Is this for real?? Cc: Reply-To: fs332@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jim Walton) Has anyone else heard about the following story? If tru, and enacted, this would be a killer for gene lists such as this. Jim << > URGENT! Read the following and pass it on to everyone you know >> >>>> Dear Internet Subscriber: >> >>>> 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 your use of >> >>>> the Internet. Under proposed legislation the U.S. >> >>>> Postal Service will be attempting to bilk e-mail 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 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 citizen >> >>>> received about 10 pieces of e-mail 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 e-mail, who knows >> >>>> where it will end. You are already paying an >> >>>> exorbitant price for snail mail because of bureacratic >> >>>> 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 e-mail, it will mark >> >>>> the end of the "free" Internet in the United States. >> >>>> One congressman, Tony Schnell (R) has even suggested a >> >>>> "twenty to forty dollar per month surcharge on all >> >>>> Internet service" above and beyond the government's >> >>>> 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) Don't sit by and watch your >> >>>> freedoms erode away! >> >>>> Send this e-mail to all Americans on your list and tell >> >>>> your friends and relatives to write to their >> >>>> congressman and say "No!" to Bill 602P. Kate Turner >> >>>> Assistant to Richard Stepp, Berger, Stepp and Gorman >> >>>> Attorneys at Law 216 Concorde Street, Vienna, Va. >> >>>> >> >>>> It's the action, not the fruit of the action that's >> >>>> important. You have to do the right thing...You may >> >>>> never know what results come from your action. ==== PAVENANG Mailing List ==== Any questions/problems regarding the Venango County, Pennsylvania list, contact the listowner, Dave Ross mailto:rossi@erie.net Visit the Venango County, Pennsylvania Genealogy web site at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~pavenang/