(Direct Newsline)—The Direct Marketing Association has sent a letter to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) opposing his proposal for a national do-not-email registry. The letter is signed by 18 top executives that employ “a number of people in New York.”

Schumer plans to attach language calling for the creation of a do-not-spam list to another Senate bill, the CAN-SPAM Act, before it goes for a vote by the full Senate, according to Phil Singer, spokesman for Schumer, in an earlier interview.

CAN-SPAM, which was introduced by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on April 10, “could go to the Senate floor [for a vote] on Friday,” said Grant Toomey, spokesman for Burns.

The letter said, “We support the passage of federal legislation as one of the tools necessary to combat the growing tide of spam…A do-not-spam list, however, will do little to dissuade spammers who are already breaking the law.”

The letter goes on to say that the Federal Trade Commission has testified before Congress that a do-not-e-mail list would be ineffective and the cost to marketers for such a list would be prohibitive. The registry would punish “legitimate marketers for the illegal acts of spammers,” the letter said.

“A do-not-e-mail registry would be bad for New York, bad for consumers, bad for the Internet and bad for the economy,” it stated.

Calls to Schumer’s office about the letter were not returned by press time.

The DMA supports the CAN-SPAM legislation as it now stands.

In addition to H. Robert Wientzen, CEO of the DMA, the letter was signed by Robert J. Posch, senior vice president of legal, government and postal affairs at Bookspan; Kevin O’Connor, chairman of DoubleClick; Chris Paradysz, owner of Paradysz Matera; Daniel Morel, CEO of Wunderman; Jerry Shereshewsky, executive director in New York of Yahoo! Inc.; Barry Green, vice president of circulation of Hearst Business Media; Richard M. Hochhauser, CEO of Harte-Hanks, Inc.; and Al DiGuido, CEO of Bigfoot Interactive, Inc.

Others who signed included Susan L. D’Agostino, senior vice president of administration at Bernard C. Harris Publishing Co., Inc.; Lawrence M. Kimmel, CEO of Grey Direct; Russell Stravitz, CEO of Brylane, Inc.; Elizabeth Kislik, president of Liz Kislik Associates LLC; Jack E. Rosenfeld, CEO of Potpourri Group, Inc.; Christopher G. McCann, president of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM; John F. Temple, CEO of Guideposts; G.M. O’Connell, chairman of Modem Media; Thomas O. Ryder, CEO of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.; and Christie Hefner, CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

The Direct Marketing Association has sent a letter to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) opposing his proposal for a national do-not-email registry. The letter is signed by 18 top executives that employ “a significant number of people in New York.”

Schumer plans to attach language calling for the creation of a do-not-spam list to another Senate bill, the CAN-SPAM Act, before it goes for a vote by the full Senate, according to Phil Singer, spokesman for Schumer, in an earlier interview.

CAN-SPAM, which was introduced by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on April 10, “could go to the Senate floor [for a vote] on Friday,” said Grant Toomey, spokesman for Burns.

The letter said, “We support the passage of federal legislation as one of the tools necessary to combat the growing tide of spam

The Direct Marketing Association has sent a letter to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) opposing his proposal for a national do-not-email registry. The letter is signed by 18 top executives that employ “a significant number of people in New York.”

Schumer plans to attach language calling for the creation of a do-not-spam list to another Senate bill, the CAN-SPAM Act, before it goes for a vote by the full Senate, according to Phil Singer, spokesman for Schumer, in an earlier interview.

CAN-SPAM, which was introduced by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on April 10, “could go to the Senate floor [for a vote] on Friday,” said Grant Toomey, spokesman for Burns.

The letter said, “We support the passage of federal legislation as one of the tools necessary to combat the growing tide of spam…A do-not-spam list, however, will do little to dissuade spammers who are already breaking the law.”

The letter goes on to say that the Federal Trade Commission has testified before Congress that a do-not-e-mail list would be ineffective and the cost to marketers for such a list would be prohibitive. The registry would punish “legitimate marketers for the illegal acts of spammers,” the letter said.

“A do-not-e-mail registry would be bad for New York, bad for consumers, bad for the Internet and bad for the economy,” it stated.

Calls to Schumer’s office about the letter were not returned by press time.

The DMA supports the CAN-SPAM legislation as it now stands.

In addition to H. Robert Wientzen, CEO of the DMA, the letter was signed by Robert J. Posch, senior vice president of legal, government and postal affairs at Bookspan; Kevin O’Connor, chairman of DoubleClick; Chris Paradysz, owner of Paradysz Materia; Daniel Morel, CEO of Wunderman; Jerry Shereshewsky, executive director in New York of Yahoo! Inc.; Barry Green, vice president of circulation of Hearst Business Media; Richard M. Hochhauser, CEO of Harte-Hanks Inc.; and Al DiGuido, CEO of Bigfoot Interactive Inc.

Others who signed included Susan L. D’Agostino, senior vice president of administration at Bernard C. Harris Publishing Co. Inc.; Lawrence M. Kimmel, CEO of Grey Direct; Russell Stravitz, CEO of Brylane Inc.; Elizabeth Kislik, president of Liz Kislik Associates LLC; Jack E. Rosenfeld, CEO of Potpourri Group Inc.; Christopher G. McCann, president of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM; John F. Temple, CEO of Guideposts; G.M. O’Connell, chairman of Modem Media; Thomas O. Ryder, CEO of The Reader’s Digest Association Inc.; and Christie Hefner, CEO of Playboy Enterprises Inc.