Hoax Warnings
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Alphabetical Index
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A hoax message is in circulation that appeals to people to oppose
Bill 602P that is reportedly aimed to charge 5 cents from each
e-mail a person sends. Here is what the hoax message looks
like:
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 ® 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.
Another variant of this hoax was in circulation in July-August 2000:
Please Read Carefully & Forward.....
VOTE NO ON Bill 602P!!!!
I guess the warnings were true. Federal Bill 602P wants us to
pay 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
non-interference. 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.
Our 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
!!!!!"
If you don't vote, then you can't complain when we are forced to
pay a price "WE THE PEOPLE " never agreed upon.. For yourself,
please just follow the link.. locate your state representative's
Name, "Email Him" and ask him to say no.
"SAY NO!!!!!! to BILL 602P"
Another variant from May 2001, now Australian Government is
mentioned:
This came in to my mail box on Tuesday. It is cause for some
concern if it is true.
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 Australia
attempting to quietly push through legislation that will affect
our use of the Internet. Under proposed legislation, the
Australian Postal Service will be attempting to bill E-mail
users for "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.
Canberra lawyer Richard Stepp is working without pay to prevent
this legislation from becoming law. The Australian 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 (20 in 1998), the cost to 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 Australian 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
ordinary mail because of bad efficiency.
It currently takes up to 6 days for a letter to be delivered
anywhere in Australia or longer. If the Australian Postal
Service is allowed to interfere with E-mail, it will mark the
end of the "free" Internet in Australia. Our Canberra
representative, Tony Schnell (r) has even suggested a "$20- $40
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 Sun Herald 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 your friends and
relatives to write to their Canberra or local polictal
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.
Bill 602P does not exist and no one is planning to charge people
for sending e-mails as far as we know. Please ignore this hoax
message if you receive it and do not pass it on.
[Last modified: May 2001]
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