On August 7, 2000 I posted the following information regarding this hoax:
>----- Original Message -----
From: "House Document Public Requests" <HouseDocumentPublicRequests@mail.house.gov>
To: "Helen Dynda" <olddad66@runestone.net>
Cc: "LRC Sent Items" <LRCSentItems@mail.house.gov>
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 12:36 PM Subject: Re: Bill 602P
Thank you for contacting the Legislative Resource Center. It is a hoax. Bill 602P is not a real piece of legislation. No such proposed legislation exists. The following statement was issued by the U.S. Postal Service:
WASHINGTON- "A completely false rumor concerning the U.S. Postal Service is being Circulated on Internet e-mail. As a matter of fact, the Postal Service has learned that a similar Hoax accurred recently in Canada concerning Canada Post".
The U.S.Postal Service has no authority to surcharge e-mail messages sent over the internet.
-- ----------From: Helen Dynda[olddad66@runestone.net] Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 12:54 PM To: House Document Public Requests Subject: Bill 602P Can you tell me if the following information is true or is it a hoax? I have received 2 emails in regard to Bill 602P. In researching Bill 602P, I have found 2 websites which say that this bill is a hoax. If I have sent this message to the wrong email address - which could answer my question - would you kindly direct it to the right email address? Thank you!! Sincerely, Helen Dynda (Minnesota) 1.) E-MAIL RUMOR COMPLETELY UNTRUE!! http://www.usps.gov/news/press/99/99045new.htm
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2.) Is the U.S. Postal Service trying to tax your e-mails to cover their losses?
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/hoax-usps.html
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*3.) Search CURRENT CONGRESS for Text of Bills: By Bill Number 602P
The result of the above Search: "602P is an invalid bill number"
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THERE IS NO FEDERAL BILL 602P...THIS EMAIL IS UNTRUE!!...IT IS A HOAX!!
VOTE NO ON Bill 602P!!!!
I guess the warnings were true. Federal Bill 602P 5-cents per E-mail Sent. It figures! No more free E-mail! We knew this was coming!!
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 noninterference. 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 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.
A 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 to E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your friends and relatives 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.