Many thanks, Retired Guy.
Joyce Weems
Pathology Manager
Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Don Hammer [SMTP:donh7@earthlink.net]
	Sent:	Thursday, March 02, 2000 12:49 PM
	To:	Atoska Gentry; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
	Subject:	Re: no more free e-mail

	Atoska,

	Thanks for providing the info below.

	 I wrote to my Congressperson explaining the use of the Histonet
server and
	other list servers in the exchange of technical, procedural and
government
	Regs. for safety/billing.
	The mail to him did not save in my e-mail so I cannot copy here, but
went on
	to explain how Healthcare has had to tighten belts with reduced
revenue and
	the if the post office is receiving less revenue, then they receive
less
	mail to process.  That gives them an opportunity to reduce costs,
unlike
	Health Care which seems to be increasing altho receives less
reimbursement.

	I also explained how "stretched" Health care providers are and the
possible
	consequences and sited some examples as an analogy.  (He is also
very active
	in Health Care Reform)

	I'm posting this to encourage everyone to write their thoughts to
their
	Congressperson. I have never gotten involved nor written views to
the
	Government, but clicking on the site below provided by Atoska made
it a
	simple thing to do.  :)

	Don Hammer, Retired Guy

	----- Original Message -----
	From: Atoska Gentry <gentras@vetmed.auburn.edu>
	To: <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
	Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 10:27 AM


	> >
	> ><< ok people. Heres your chance to do something about this .
Please let
	> >        your
	> >        representative know. George C
	> >
	> >
	> >        > NO MORE FREE E-MAIL.....
	> >        > CNN has reported that within the next two weeks
Congress is
	going to
	> >        > vote on allowing telephone companies to CHARGE A TOLL
FEE for
	> >Internet
	> >        > access.
	> >        > Translation: Every time we send a long distance e-mail
we
	> >willreceive a
	> >        > long distance charge. This will get costly. Please
visit the
	> >following
	> >        > web site and file a complaint.
	> >        > Complain to your Congressperson. We can't allow this to
pass!
	The
	> >        > following address will allow you to send an e-mail on
this
	subject
	> >        > DIRECTLY to your Congressperson.
	> >        > http://www.house.gov/writerep
	> >        > ,
	> >        > Pass this on to your friends. It is urgent. I hope all
of you
	will
	> >        > pass this on to all your friends and family. We should
ALL have
	an
	> >        > interest in this one.
	> >        > WAIT, THERE'S MORE. IN ADDITION,
	> >        > 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 isworking without
pay to
	> >prevent
	> >        > this legislation from becoming law.
	> >        > The U.S. Postal Service is claiming that lost revenue
due to
	the
	> >        > proliferation of e-mail 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 bureaucratic inefficiency. 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
	e-mail
	> >        > to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your friends and
	relatives to
	> >        > write to their Congressman 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 don't want.
	> >        > PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO USES EMAIL
REMEMBER THESE
	ARE
	> >        > TWO SEPARATE ISSUES THAT EFFECT ALL OF US ONLINE.
	> >        > LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD NOW, NOT AFTER!!!!!!
	> >        >
	> >        >>
	> >
	>
	> Atoska S. Gentry B.S., HT(ASCP)
	> Research Assistant
	> Scott-Rtichey Research Center
	> College of Veterinary Medicine
	> Auburn University, AL  36849
	> PH (334) 844-5579
	> FAX (334) 844-5850
	>
	>
	>
	>
	>