[Vision2020] Re: The Patriot Act II

[Tom Hansen]

Joan -

I support Congressman Otter's stance against such atrocious invasions of our
privacy.  Is there anything we can do to fight this bill?

I understand that a city council in a small town in northern California has
enacted a law making it illegal for any organization of any kind to take any
action whatsoever in support of the Patriot Act.

Perhaps we should organize ourselves and submit a request for a similar bill
to our city council? (with our shirts on, of course)

Any thoughts?

Tom Hansen


> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
> Behalf Of Joan Opyr
> Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2004 4:34 PM
> To: vision2020@moscow.com
> Subject: [Vision2020] Re: The Patriot Act II
>
>
> Dear Visionaries:
>
> Just after Christmas, an attorney friend of mine told me that
> some portion
> of the so-called Patriot Act II had been slipped into an intelligence
> appropriations bill and passed without fanfare (or media coverage) around
> the time that Saddam Hussein was pulled from his spider hole.  As
> I read The
> New York Times, The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, The
> Guardian, The
> Independent, the online BBC News, and Salon on a daily basis (what can I
> say?  I'm a news junkie) and yet had seen absolutely no coverage
> of this, I
> emailed Congressman Otter to find out what was up.  I am forwarding his
> response.
>
> The threat to our civil liberties embodied both in the Patriot
> Act and its
> proposed encore cannot be overestimated.  I am entirely supportive of
> Congressman Otter's strong stance against these terrifying encroachments.
>
> Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
>
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Congressman Butch Otter
> >Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 11:39 AM
> >To: joanopyr@hotmail.com
> >Subject: Responding to your message to Rep. Otter
> >
> >
> >January 13, 2004
> >
> >Ms. Joan Opyr
> >1738 Genesee Troy Road
> >Moscow, ID  83843-8454
> >
> >Dear Joan,
> >
> >Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the Patriot Act
> >II.  I appreciate hearing from you and having the opportunity to respond.
> >
> >In your correspondence, you mentioned that you had heard that
> the so-called
> >Patriot Act II had passed and been signed into law.  To clarify, at this
> >point legislation referred to as the Patriot Act II has been
> discussed but
> >not introduced.  However, a provision from this discussion was
> included in
> >H.R. 2471, the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2004.
> >
> >I was deeply concerned about this small section of H.R. 2417,
> which could
> >potentially have long-reaching effects on civil liberties.  This
> provision
> >would expand the FBI's power to demand financial records-without
> a judge's
> >approval-to a range of businesses vastly wider than their current
> >authority.  Right now the FBI has the authority to serve subpoenas to
> >traditional financial institutions when investigating terrorism or
> >counterintelligence without having to seek a judge's approval
> first.  Under
> >current law, "financial institution" means banks, loan
> companies, savings
> >associations, and credit unions.
> >
> >However, H.R. 2417 changes this definition to include not only
> traditional
> >"financial institutions," like banks and credit unions, but it
> also makes
> >pawnbrokers, casinos, vehicle salesmen, real estate agents, telegraph
> >companies, travel agencies, and the U.S. Postal Service-just to name a
> >few-subject to this authority as well.  While I firmly believe
> that we must
> >make sure that our law enforcement officers have the tools
> necessary to win
> >these battles, this provision eliminates the judicial oversight that was
> >built into our system for a reason-to make sure that our
> precious liberties
> >are protected.
> >
> >You may be interested to know that when this conference report was
> >considered by the House of Representatives I stood up and spoke against
> >this provision.  Unfortunately, the conference report passed the
> House on
> >November 20, 2003 by a vote of 264-163.  You can be confident
> that I will
> >continue striving to protect our civil liberties as these issues come
> >before me in Congress.
> >
> >Once again, thank you for contacting me.
> >
> >As always, "Idaho - Esto Perpetua"
> >?
> >C.L."Butch" Otter
> >Member of Congress
> >
> >CLO/mmj
> >
> >
> >
> >As always, "Idaho - Esto Perpetua"
> >
> >C.L."Butch" Otter
> >Member of Congress
>
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