This is all phony.  It is the stuff of Urban Legend.

Adam Puzerewski
81 westy
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Johnson <bjohns@DTX.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Saturday, May 13, 2000 5:57 PM
Subject: [VANAGON] Fw: HILL VOTES ON IP REGULATION TUESDAY: SOS

>I received the following message from a pioneer of VON "voice on the
>internet"  This guy (Jeff Pulver) is not an alarmist or a crackpot.  This
>bill could affect your voice phone calls via the net. Pass this along
>please and nip this in the bud.
>
>Bill
>------------------Snip----------------------------------------------
>Subject: SOS: HILL VOTES ON IP REGULATION TUESDAY: SOS
>
>
>
>SOS: HILL VOTES ON IP REGULATION TUESDAY: SOS
>Need your Help to Keep Internet Telephony Regulation Free
>
>Hi There,
>
>The US House of Representatives is considering a bill
>called "HR 1291" which, if passed, will set in motion
>a cave-in to the US Bell Companies and open the door for
>the FCC to regulate and impose access charges on
>IP voice services.
>
>The floor vote for this bill is on Tuesday, May 16th.
>There is still time to help stop HR 1291...but our time is short.
>
>On May 10, the House Commerce Committee took HR 1291, which was
>written to prevent the FCC from imposing per-minute access charges
>on ISPs, and turned it on its head by carving out an exception for
>what it calls "Internet telephone" services.
>The new version of the bill, which will be brought to the floor
>for a vote Tuesday, May 16 allows the FCC to impose access
>charges on Internet telephony "irrespective of the type of
>customer premises equipment used in connection with such services" -
>in other words, whether provided via phone, computer,
>or some other device.
>
>If the bill passes, it signals the FCC and other International
>regulators that IP voice services can and maybe should be
>regulated like circuit-switched telephony.
>
>The bill is opposed by virtually every high tech and
>Internet company and trade association.
>
>The Republican House leadership, Speaker Hastert,
>Majority Leader Armey, and Majority Whip DeLay, say that
>they are moving H.R. 1291 to show that they support the
>Internet community and on many issues they do...but,
>on this one, they are plowing forward despite being told by the
>Internet community that this is not a pro-Internet bill.
>
>I urge you to call the switchboard of the Captial and leave
>a message for your Representative that HR 1291 is a mistake.
>The phone number for the the Capital Switchboard is:
> +1.202.224.3121. Please also email your Representative
>and the House Leadership with the message that HR 1291
>is a mistake.
>
>The Internet should remain unregulated, with no exceptions
>for voice applications and services.
>
>http://www.house.gov and http://www.house.gov/writerp will help
>you locate the name and email address of your Representative.
>
>email for the House Leadership is:
> Speaker Hastert: speaker@mail.house.gov.
> House Commerce Committee Chairman
>   - Tom Bliley: tom.bliley@mailhouse.gov
> House Commerce Communications Subscommittee Chairman
>   - Billy Tauzin: billy.tauzin@mailhouse.gov
>
>Please let them know that:
>
>- If they open the door to regulating any Internet service,
>it will set a terrible precedent.
>
>- Using the Internet for voice communications is a good thing and
>should not be regulated or taxed. Consumers will be hurt and
>only the old monopoly telephone companies will benefit.
>
>- Internet voice services are used mostly by low income people
>for international communications, as a substitute for vastly
>inflated international long-distance calls.
>
>- Passing HR 1291 will create a new source of privacy concerns,
>as companies pry apart traffic streams to determine what's "voice".
>
>Please feel free to forward this message to anybody you know
>who might be affected in the event the Internet Telephony Industry
>gets regulated. The industry needs everybody's help to STOP HR 1291!
>
>
>Kind regards,
>
>Jeff