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WASHINGTON -- A U.S. senator's idea to charge users for sending e-mail as a way to fight spam was just "public brainstorming," but may not become legislation, according to a spokesperson for Senator Mark Dayton, who mentioned an e-mail tax at a hearing Wednesday.

However, its very mention has raised concerns among e-mail users, and calls to ming an online hoax message urging Netizens to lobby Congress against a pending e-mail tax proposal.

Senator's Suggestions

Dayton, a Minnesota Democrat, was among the witnesses at a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. He spoke in support of a bill he introduced in March, the "Computer Owners' Bill of Rights." It proposes creating a national antispam registry but does not include a charge for sending e-mail.

But Dayton also said "it's worth looking at" levying a small charge per e-mail message sent, so spammers who send millions of e-mail messages a day would be hit in the pocketbooks.

"I think it's worth looking at some very, very small charge for every e-mail sent, so small that it would not be onerous for an individual or business that has regular (e-mail) use, but it would be a deterrent for those who are sending millions and even billions of these e-mails," Dayton said at the hearing.

Asked for more details, a Dayton spokesperson said Thursday, "It was the senator speaking fairly off the cuff, wondering out loud about ways to combat the spam problem."

The senator's staff has not worked up any e-mail tax proposals and no legislation is planned at the moment, the spokesperson said. As for the amount that Dayton would suggest charging as a prospective e-mail tax, the spokesperson said, "It hasn't even gotten that far yet."

Dayton's ideas were among several advanced at the committee hearing on spam. Including Dayton's bill and a wireless spam bill, five bills are currently pending in the U.S. Congress. Other bills are likely on the way.

Heard It Before

The idea of a proposed e-mail tax has been a longtime hoax circulating on the Internet. An e-mail message that has been distributed since at least 2000 tells of a fictitious bill that would charge 5 cents for each e-mail message sent. In fact, the e-mail tax was named Number One on the PC World list of Worst Internet Hoaxes.

Dayton's idea of charging for e-mail, even as an aside at the hearing, received quick reaction.

"Give me a break!" read an e-mail from Arvil Cook, a training-facility scheduler from Houston after reading an IDG News Service report about the hearing. "If a tax will solve a problem, this would be the most problem-free nation on earth. This would end up being a tax on those that obey the law while the spammers would find a way to circumvent it."