Post by bot on May 22, 2004 23:52:38 GMT -5
From The Washington Times, 1/4/04:
www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040104-113441-7305r.htm
Cities in revolt over Patriot Act
By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The number of Americans coming under scrutiny of the Patriot Act is
growing significantly, and so is the number of Americans calling on
Congress to repeal or modify the law.
Hundreds of city and county governments across the nation last year
initiated the grass-roots effort by passing resolutions declaring they
would not cooperate with the federal government in enforcing the law,
which they claim undermines civil liberties.
Those voices grew louder last week when the nation's oldest and
largest national group of elected municipal government officials, the
National League of Cities (NLC), passed a resolution at its annual
meeting calling for Congress to repeal parts of the act.
"Cities and towns need a partnership with the federal government on
homeland security issues that makes sure we have the resources we need
to get the job done but also preserves the liberties that Americans
hold dear," Charlie Lyons, NLC president and Arlington, Mass.,
selectman, said in a written statement.
The NLC members represent 18,000 cities with 225 million residents.
The concerns listed by the NLC mirror those expressed by civil
liberties and national librarian organizations, as well as some
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill pushing legislation to
overhaul the act, which became law in the month after the September 11
terrorist attacks.
Critics question the law's broad powers, such as allowing law
enforcement to perform "sneak and peek" searches without notification
or anyone present, and permitting FBI officials to obtain records from
libraries while prohibiting librarians from notifying the persons
involved.
Justice Department officials defend the Patriot Act as a needed tool
in the war on terrorism, and say criticism of its use is overblown.
After the American Library Association last year attacked a provision
allowing the review of library records, Attorney General John Ashcroft
declassified information to show the act had never been used to look
at library records.
The resolution passed by the NLC urges the president and Congress to
amend the Patriot Act "to restore and protect our nation's fundamental
and inalienable rights and liberties."
The group also cited the following concerns:
•The secretary of state is given broad powers to designate
domestic groups as "terrorist organizations" and the attorney general
has power to subject immigrants to indefinite detention or deportation
even if they have committed no crime.
•Public universities are required to collect information on
students who may be of interest to the attorney general.
•Law enforcement officials are given broad access to sensitive
mental health, library, business, educational and financial records.
Many Americans are encountering the Patriot Act when opening bank
accounts.
The law requires financial institutions to run the names of customers
through the Office of Foreign Asset Control database, which lists
people who are known terrorists or who associate with known
terrorists.
New bank customers are asked how many wire transactions they expect to
make each month.
If the reply is five or more, the customer would be reported to the
federal government.
The Patriot Act also gives the Treasury Department authority to order
financial institutions to search private accounts and transaction
records and report suspicious activity.
This information program administered by the Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is used by federal law enforcement
agencies and in 2003 provided data for 64 terrorism financing cases
and 124 money-laundering investigations.
"The program enables federal law enforcement agencies, through FinCEN,
to reach out to over 29,000 financial institutions to locate accounts
and transactions of persons that may be involved in terrorism or money
laundering," said a statement posted on FinCEN's Web site.
www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040104-113441-7305r.htm
Cities in revolt over Patriot Act
By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The number of Americans coming under scrutiny of the Patriot Act is
growing significantly, and so is the number of Americans calling on
Congress to repeal or modify the law.
Hundreds of city and county governments across the nation last year
initiated the grass-roots effort by passing resolutions declaring they
would not cooperate with the federal government in enforcing the law,
which they claim undermines civil liberties.
Those voices grew louder last week when the nation's oldest and
largest national group of elected municipal government officials, the
National League of Cities (NLC), passed a resolution at its annual
meeting calling for Congress to repeal parts of the act.
"Cities and towns need a partnership with the federal government on
homeland security issues that makes sure we have the resources we need
to get the job done but also preserves the liberties that Americans
hold dear," Charlie Lyons, NLC president and Arlington, Mass.,
selectman, said in a written statement.
The NLC members represent 18,000 cities with 225 million residents.
The concerns listed by the NLC mirror those expressed by civil
liberties and national librarian organizations, as well as some
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill pushing legislation to
overhaul the act, which became law in the month after the September 11
terrorist attacks.
Critics question the law's broad powers, such as allowing law
enforcement to perform "sneak and peek" searches without notification
or anyone present, and permitting FBI officials to obtain records from
libraries while prohibiting librarians from notifying the persons
involved.
Justice Department officials defend the Patriot Act as a needed tool
in the war on terrorism, and say criticism of its use is overblown.
After the American Library Association last year attacked a provision
allowing the review of library records, Attorney General John Ashcroft
declassified information to show the act had never been used to look
at library records.
The resolution passed by the NLC urges the president and Congress to
amend the Patriot Act "to restore and protect our nation's fundamental
and inalienable rights and liberties."
The group also cited the following concerns:
•The secretary of state is given broad powers to designate
domestic groups as "terrorist organizations" and the attorney general
has power to subject immigrants to indefinite detention or deportation
even if they have committed no crime.
•Public universities are required to collect information on
students who may be of interest to the attorney general.
•Law enforcement officials are given broad access to sensitive
mental health, library, business, educational and financial records.
Many Americans are encountering the Patriot Act when opening bank
accounts.
The law requires financial institutions to run the names of customers
through the Office of Foreign Asset Control database, which lists
people who are known terrorists or who associate with known
terrorists.
New bank customers are asked how many wire transactions they expect to
make each month.
If the reply is five or more, the customer would be reported to the
federal government.
The Patriot Act also gives the Treasury Department authority to order
financial institutions to search private accounts and transaction
records and report suspicious activity.
This information program administered by the Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is used by federal law enforcement
agencies and in 2003 provided data for 64 terrorism financing cases
and 124 money-laundering investigations.
"The program enables federal law enforcement agencies, through FinCEN,
to reach out to over 29,000 financial institutions to locate accounts
and transactions of persons that may be involved in terrorism or money
laundering," said a statement posted on FinCEN's Web site.