This hoax is being circulated stating that the government wants to charge 5
cents for all e-mail sent.
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.
-Anthony Sorrentino
sorranth@xxxxxxxxx
"I'm not kidding, that boy's head is like Sputnik; spherical but quite
pointy at parts! Aye, now that was offsides, now wasn't it? He'll be
crying himself to sleep tonight, on his huge pillow."
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