Does this sound like crap? Is it real? the following message I recived in a E mail today.
"> > VOTE NO ON Bill 602P!!!!
> > >
> > > 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 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 E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your
> > > friends and relatives to 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. PLEASE FORWARD!
> > > >>"
"> > VOTE NO ON Bill 602P!!!!
> > >
> > > 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 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 E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your
> > > friends and relatives to 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. PLEASE FORWARD!
> > > >>"