Thanks LuAnn....I reviewed the site you mention and wrote an apology to my
Congressman for taking his time.  First time I got caught up in one of the
hoaxes and will be the last. :)

Don Hammer, Retired Guy

----- Original Message -----
From: LuAnn Anderson <ander093@gold.tc.umn.edu>
To: <gentras@vetmed.auburn.edu>
Cc: <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 9:27 AM
Subject: Re: email charge hoax?


> Responding to the message of <l03020923b4e2cd094b08@[131.204.131.112]>
> from Atoska Gentry <gentras@vetmed.auburn.edu>:
>
>
> The website address is:  http://ciac.llnl.gov/
>
>
> Internet Access Charges
>
> January 1999
>
> This is a variant of the historic modem tax hoax of bygone years. This
> latest version started making its rounds on Nov 06,
> 1998, based apparently on a CNN story. Early versions pointed the finger
> at the FCC as the villian in this story. Then it was
> 'the government', then it was 'the Congress'.
>
> FCC statement:
> "... the FCC has no intention of assessing per-minute charges on
> Internet traffic or of making any changes in the way consumers obtain
> and pay for access to the Internet."
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >
> > >Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 22:12:00 -0600
> > >Sender: Damarius Antwann Studdard <studd001@bama.ua.edu>
> > >From: Damarius Antwann Studdard <studd001@bama.ua.edu>
> > >To: "D'Shundra McCray" <d_mccray@hotmail.com>,
> > >        "Jr. Desouza" <juniordesouza@hotmail.com>,
> > >        "JSD7511@aol.com" <JSD7511@aol.com>,
> > >        Angela Waldon <WALDOAN@groupwise1.duc.auburn.edu>,
> > >        Atoska Gentry <gentras@vetmed.auburn.edu>,
> > >        Bk Lowe <lowe002@bama.ua.edu>, Bri Chestane
<chest001@bama.ua.edu>,
> > >        Christina Lowe <lowe003@bama.ua.edu>,
> > >        Damarius Studdard <Studdd1@collegeclub.com>,
> > >        Demetrius Heard <Demetrius37@hotmail.com>,
> > >        dotch001 <dotch001@bama.ua.edu>, ED <J-R12@hotmail.com>,
> > >        Felica <audiva@collegeclub.com>,
> > >        Galvin Billups <galvinbillups@hotmail.com>,
> > >        Gordie <sixfoursolider@hotmail.com>,
> > >        Jeanette Mccray <nette2459@hotmail.com>,
> > >        Jennifer Butler <butle005@bama.ua.edu>,
> > >        Joaunka Goldsmith <Joaunka.Goldsmith@mail.ua.edu>,
> > >        KEISHA STEWART <quietstorm_31@hotmail.com>,
> > >        Kevena Samuel <samkn@hotmail.com>,
> > >        Knowledge Harvin <cru_love@hotmail.com>,
> > >        Lakeisha King <king002@bama.ua.edu>,
> > >        LeVictor Broadnax <rotdbd@hotmail.com>, Marty
> > > <marty0028@bama.ua.edu>,
> > >        MIRANDA CANNON <pecan36830@yahoo.com>,
> > >        Ron Tolliver <RonLove3@collegeclub.com>,
> > >        Stacey Campbell <spider-bytes@hotmail.com>,
> > >        STACY CAMBELL <spider-bytes@hotmail.com>, studd001@bama.ua.edu,
> > >        Tennille Lowe <lowe001@bama.ua.edu>,
> > >        Tiffany Bowen <tbowen1@boc.cba.ua.edu>,
> > >        Tonya Benjamin <benja001@bama.ua.edu>
> > >X-EXP32-SerialNo: 00002122
> > >Subject:
> > >Mime-Version: 1.0
> > >
> > ><< 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
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > .
>
>
>
>
>