Posted on 11/20/2001 9:38:50 AM PST by jgrubbs
THE “PATRIOT” ACT???
Do you know what I’ve done that many of our congressmen and senators haven’t done? I’ve read a summary of H.R. 3162. The long title is “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001” The Congressional Research Service has given H.R. 3162 the short title of USA Patriot Bill.
I hope you’ve learned long ago not to pay any attention to the titles our wonderful legislators give to their legislation. Titles seldom have anything to do with the actual purposes of the bill. Take the “Bank Secrecy Act” for instance. The true purpose of this bill was to make sure that the federal government could keep an eye on your financial relationship with your bank. A more proper title would have been the “Bank Anti-Secrecy Act.”
OK … Back to the Patriot Act. It would seem that some members of congress have done what so many other groups and individuals have done. They have used the terrorist attacks on America as an excuse to pursue long-held goals that have nothing to do with terrorism.
Let’s go back to that Bank Secrecy Act for a minute. Under that law you bank must file a report with the Imperial Federal Government every time you engage in a transaction with the bank involving more than $10,000 in cash. If you deposit $10,000 in cash the bank files a report. If you withdraw ten grand, the bank files a report. Are you told the bank is filing a report? No. Are you given a copy of the report? No. (I guess this is where the “secrecy” comes in.)
Well … Section 365 of the USA Patriot Bill has just expanded this reporting requirement. Now it applies to most businesses in addition to banks. Now, if you go to a business and spend more than $10,000 in cash that business has to report your name, address, social security number and other pertinent information to the feds. It doesn’t matter whether you spend the money on one item, or a whole shopping cart full .. the federal government must be notified.
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with international terrorism. The terrorists who attacked the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon did not deal in large amounts of cash. They carried picture ID cards and used credit cards. They NEVER spent $10,000 in cash with any business. In short, they never engaged in any activity that would have to be reported under Section 365.
So --- what’s the deal here? Why these new reporting requirements for all businesses? It has much more to do with the IRS than it does with terrorism. Our tax burden is so onerous in this country that many people prefer to deal in cash as much as they can. The IRS wants to catch these people, and has stepped forward to use our fear of terrorism to open the door. The original Bank Secrecy Act was based on money laundering by drug dealers. Drugs the excuse then, terrorism the excuse now. And all the while the goal is nothing less than to give the federal government more power to pry into the financial affairs of every American.
Remember --- this is the same government that tried to institute the “Know your customer” plan a few years back, and the same government that would like to have access to the computer networks that run ATMs and credit card authorization services.
As for the USA Patriot Bill? Few congressmen even read this bill. Many didn’t even read the summary. In the House, under Republican leadership, debate wasn’t permitted, nor were amendments.
Again ---- this is why I vote Libertarian.
I'm against anything that allows even a little infringement on the Constitution - It's not George W. and company that scare me, it's the future Klinton's and Reno's that could get their hands on this.
A lot of analysts are saying that most of the act won't hold up under judicial review, but still, the fact that it was passed is scary.
good point...
we also didn't have a bush in the white house then...
The thing that gets me is, every time something happens, they don't tighten the borders, they pass laws that clamp down on everyday Joe six Pack.
And with all the political correctness rubbish, I think you would end up getting treated better if you wore a turban!
My family was on this continent before the Revolutionary war!!
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