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Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 17:04:08 -0600
From: Rob Whitacre <RWhitacrNOAH@montana.campuscwix.net>
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To: UW Racing <uwracing@u.washington.edu>, CP Talk <cptalk@u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Fwd: Fw: Fw: Postal Ripoff]
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Check this out.

>>>  Date: Friday, May 21, 1999 9:28 AM
>>> >> Subject: Postal Ripoff
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 2:59 PM
>>> >> >Subject: Postal ripoff
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Have you all seen this!!
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Read the following and PLEASE PASS IT ON to everyone you
>>> >> >know:
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Dear Internet Subscriber:
>>> >> >
>>> >> >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 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
>>> email,
>>> >> >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 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 email 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. But if you do nothing, there will be
>>> no
>>> >> >result. (Gandhi)
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >________________________________________________________________
>>> >> >Get secure free e-mail that you don't need Web access to use
>>> >> >from Juno, the world's second largest online service.
>>> >> >Download your free software at http://www.juno.com/getit.b.html.
>>> >> >
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>Judi Wutzke
>Immediate Past President, Pullman Kiwanis Club and
>Lt. Governor Elect Designate, Division 56
>
.