there i was, enjoying a packed day of screen schematics and Taco Bell, minding my own business, when i received an email full of distraught and urgency. apparently, the government is trying to screw us. it described an "alarming trend" (a singular bill, actually) of attempted surcharges on each email message you send. apparently, this legislation was meant to recoup losses the Postal Service incurred because of less traditional paper mail being sent.
Don't sit by and watch your freedoms erode away! Send this email to all Americans on your list and tell your friends and relatives to write to their congressman and say "No!" to Bill 602P.
well, being the cynical cynic that i often am, i just had to check up on these claims.
there are several bills currently in Congress that directly or indirectly address the internet. some limit what you can say, a couple regulate gun and ammunition sales over the net, assorted others protect from fraud and spam, and one encourages the IRS to be more efficient by using technology. but nothing mentioning anything about email surcharges and secret government plots to bilk us of our hard earned cash.
there are, however, a couple of 602 bills:
- HR 602 Civil Service Long-Term Care Insurance Benefit Act
- S 602 Stealth Tax Prevention Act
my guess is this email's a hoax. anyone know otherwise?
by the way, the Washingtonian is a monthly magazine that writes articles about restaurants and places to visit in the nation's capital. hardly the type of journalists who scoop the country's major news providers.
oh, and Tony Schnell, the evil congressman who suggested a monthly fee of $20-40, isn't a current member of either the House or the Senate. probably never was.
(www.senate.gov is cool)