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
>
>
>
>
>