Is there any truth to this?

[LWHiway]

I'm sure the following is typical of those that flood systems with bogus info, making them sound credible and of course always ending with the "Please Forward this" added at the end of the e. But I'm old enough to know that big brother is capable of all. Any truth to the following bull%^(*&)?



> >Government steps in on Email Charges!
> >
> >Guess the warnings were true. Federal Bill 602P 5-cents per E-mail
> >sent. It figures! No more free E-mail! We knew this was coming!!
> >Bill 602P will permit the Federal Government to charge a 5-cent charge
> >on every delivered E-mail. 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 the United States
> >attempting to quietly push through legislation that will affect our use
> >of the Internet. Under proposed legislation, the US Postal Service
> >will be attempting to bill E-mail users out of "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.
> >
> >Washington DC lawyer Richard Stepp is working without pay to prevent
> >this legislation from becoming law. The US 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 in
> >1998, the cost of 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 US 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 snail mail because of
> >bureaucratic inefficiency. It currently takes up to 6 days for a letter
> >to be delivered from coast to coast. If the US Postal Service is
> >allowed
> >to tinker with E-mail, it will mark the end of the "free" Internet in
> >the United States.
> >
> >Congressional representative, Tony Schnell (R) has even suggested a
> >"$20-$40 per month surcharge on all Internet service" above and beyond
> >the governments proposed E-mail charges. Note that most
> >of the major newspapers have ignored the story the only exception being
> >the Washingtonian 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 E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your friends and
> >relatives to write their congressional 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.

[Jenni]

Nope, been around for years, never was any truth to it...

[HAL9000]

Right up there with Bill Gates has bought ICQ and it will now have a monthly fee, or forward this ICQ or e-mail message and you will recieve either $1000 or a trip to Disney World from Bill Gates, etc.

[LWHiway]

These things seem to filter down to us slower folks in the central south slower than the rest of the world. lol thanks hiway

[HAL9000]

Watch out for the ones that tell you to search for a file on your hard drive claiming it to be a virus and very destructive. I can guarantee that you will find the file because it will actually be a windows file. If you ever suspect that you have a virus, do a scan, don't trust an e-mail to tell you.

[archie]

The file Hal mentions is Sulfnbk.exe in the \windows\command folder in Win9x. The icon for it is a bit unusual too which, accompanied by the hoax e-mail, tricks a person who is unaware into deleting the file.

[azscary]

THe Sulfnbk.exe virus is a reverse play on typical virus'. It makes the USER the virus!

[audiyoda]

Ya know, if you looked up bill 602P, that number would put that bill in Senate/Congress around the time of the civil war! That's what I always found funny about that e-mail.

The civil war....damn, I though it was Al Gore who created the Internet....must have been one of those Gore's that came over on the Mayflower instead.

-Craig

[archie]

I take pride in knowing that no one in my addy book would send such e-mail.

[highrisemech]

First rule of computer use don't delete any files unless you know exactly what the file is and what it does.
If you suspect a virus update your antivirus software and run a scan as Hal9000 suggested.So far as these so called bills are concerned, somebody is always trying to get a hand in your pocket one way or another. Actually you are already paying for internet through ISP fees, Phone line fees, broadband fees oh yes and there is a tax on these fees you just did not see it. Free nothing worth while is free. I'll see my wife complain about the price of food at the market but I always say complaining is not going to do you one bit of good pay the price and get what you want. What do I do I pay the price because that is what it costs and I'm not going to go without because something is a few cents more. I'll just make up the cost by asking for a raise and let the viciuos cycle lead its course.