[Consort]

I wouldn't rate myself as a goody goody either but there are some lines I won't cross and ratting on friends and family is one of them.

I agree. Decent people, in and out of TIPS, would not do those things, and decent people in the TIPS program would have something to say about those who would do such things. It would be a positive influence for a change.

[NoLongerLurker]

And just how do you insure that everyone in TIPS is "decent".

[Phantom Lord]

What are the proposed penalties for providing false information? Are there any?

What recourse against the rat does one have for providing false info? Against the government for acting upon false info? Is there any?

I suspect the answer is a big fat NO on all counts.

And what about the violation of the 4th amendment issue that this surely raises? Being a part of the TIPS program clearly makes them under the direction of and an agent of the government, which requires them to obtain a warrant to enter your home.

This is a road that should not be traveled down. And no person who supports the TIPS program is a lover of liberty and freedom. Including President Bush.