COPYCENSE

The average Californian has many concerns these days: how to feed their families, the legal viability of same-sex unions, outrageously high gas prices, and how to afford college for Junior or Juniorette.

Stopping Gmail generally is not among those concerns.

But State Senator Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont) believes that Gmail, the controversial new e-mail service from Google that is beta testing right now, is a scourge upon the earth that must be terminated with alacrity. And she has introduced a bill that would ban Gmail in the Golden State.

“Telling people that their most intimate and private e-mail thoughts to doctors, friends, lovers, and family members are just another direct marketing commodity isn’t the way to promote e-commerce,” said Figueroa in a prepared statement. “At minimum, before someone’s most intimate and private thoughts are converted into a direct marketing opportunity for Google, Google should get everyone’s informed consent.”

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