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CNN Live Saturday

Five-Cent Surcharge on E-Mail a Hoax

Aired April 06, 2002 - 22:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Say it isn't so! Five cents an e-mail? Is it a sign of the times, a bureaucratic mix-up, or just a cruel joke.

Our Bruce Burkhart is bound and determined to get to the bottom of it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE BURKHART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a morning like any other morning. First thing, open up the e-mail. And there it was. An e-mail that, as it turned out, would change my life for the next day or two. It was a warning that under proposed legislation, U.S. House Bill 602P, a five cent surcharge would be collected on every e-mail sent.

The letter warns that this could cost the average user $180 a year, money that would go directly to the U.S. Postal Service for a service they do not even provide. And behind it all, a Congressman by the name of Tony Schnell.

(on camera): You know, as a reporter, I know I'm not supposed to have an opinion, but this thing really fries my eggs. I'm going to give this Congressman Tony Schnell on the phone and see what gives. Yes, could I have Congressman Tony Schnell, please?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't have any Congressman with that name, sir.

BURKHART: Thank you very much. Yes, yes. I know how Washington works. I guess I have no choice but to track this thing down myself.

(voice-over): Congressman Schnell on the double. No luck finding Congressman Schnell, but I did find the chairman of the Internet Subcommittee Congressman Fred Upton.

How can Congress even think of imposing a tax on e-mail.

REP FRED UPTON (R), MICHIGAN: Well, we're not going to do that.

BURKHART: Really? What about Congressman Schnell?

UPTON: There's no Schnell here now, that's for sure. BURKHART: No Schnell? Well, also turns out no five cent tax, no House bill 602P. House bills aren't even numbered that way. It's all a hoax one of the Internet's longest surviving hoaxes, first appearing in 1999, and then resurfacing from time to time ever since. But hoax or not, it became a campaign issue.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: I'd like to ask you how you stand on Federal Bill 602P?

BURKHART: During this debate between New York Senatorial candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rick Lazio, both took courageous stands.

SEN HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NY: I wouldn't vote for that bill.

RICK LAZIO, CANDIDATE: This is an example of the government's greedy hand.

BURKHART: Well, actually, it's more an example of what Mark Twain once said. A lie can travel halfway around the world, while the truth is putting on its shoes.

UPTON: And you can just see the power of the Internet, because so many people believe that it's true. And I have even heard from my own family members about this, saying Fred, what is the deal? BURKHART: To try and stem the tide of angry letters, Upton sponsored a bill that wasn't a hoax. A bill that said no to any Internet taxes. Never mind that such taxes have never been proposed in the first place.

UPTON: I mean, nobody stood up to oppose what we we're doing.

BURKHART: It is a classic case study. Not in how a bill becomes a law, but how a hoax becomes a bill. And for politicians always on the lookout for a crowd-pleasing position, that may not be a bad thing.

UPTON: I'm delighted to be against it.

BURKHART: Even though there's no "it" to be against.

Bruce Burkhart, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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