[Vision2020] 1984 Utah Style
Art Deco
deco@moscow.com
Sat, 31 Jan 2004 09:47:52 -0800
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Tim,
Thank you for posting this. I hope that it sparks some careful debate.
Wayne Fox
----- Original Message -----
From: Tim Lohrmann
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 9:26 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] 1984 Utah Style
And I thought Utah was so "conservative," whatever that means anymore.
TL
Dossier program alarms Utahns
Copyright 2004 Deseret Morning News
By Jerry D. Spangler, Amy Joi Bryson and Bob Bernick Jr.
Deseret Morning News
It sounds like a sci-fi thriller: a super computer program that
gathers dossiers on every single man, woman and child - everything from
birth and marriage and divorce history to hunting licenses and car license
plates. Even every address you have lived at down to the color of your hair.
It sounds surreal, but former Gov. Mike Leavitt signed Utah's 2.4
million residents up for a pilot program - ironically called MATRIX - that
does just that. And he never bothered to reveal details of the program to
Utah citizens or to state lawmakers who, upon learning of the program on
Capitol Hill this week, are now worried the state could be involved in a
program that jeopardizes basic civil liberties.
"I am concerned our governor signed us up without ever talking to
us, the people of the state" said Senate Minority Whip Ron Allen,
D-Stansbury Park, who has asked legislative analysts to research whether the
Legislature ever authorized state participation in the program. "If what I
have heard is true, then I am concerned about our liberty and our privacy.
It is a national identification card without ever carrying it."
Allen's concerns are shared by his GOP counterparts, who worry
about government intrusion into people's private lives and the collection of
comprehensive data on people who have committed no crime.
"It certainly sounds like Big Brother to me, a paranoia that
government wants to know what all the people are doing because government
knows best," said Senate Majority Leader Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville.
He had not heard of the program until queried by the Deseret Morning News.
"I want to find out where the origin of it is in our state."
So does Gov. Olene Walker, who on Wednesday requested that the
Utah Department of Public Safety provide her more information on MATRIX.
"It does appear to be something that began under Gov. Leavitt," said
Walker's spokeswoman, Amanda Covington, who added, "Gov. Walker is very
concerned about individual privacy, but she has been assured by the
Department of Public Safety that is not an issue with MATRIX."
Attempts to reach Leavitt for comment on MATRIX were not
successful.
House and Senate leaders either had never heard of MATRIX or, if
the name was familiar, had no idea that conservatives and civil libertarians
had any concerns over the new, super-information network.
MATRIX - Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange - is an
intranet database regarded as the nation's largest cyber-compilation of
personal records. It is touted as an efficient crime-fighting tool that
allows agencies to access information with just a nimble fingertip.
Searchable databases allow law enforcement agents to probe fo! r
people using Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, property
records, motor vehicle information and credit history. The information is
collected by states and forwarded to a database in Florida, where a private
company, Seisint Inc., builds and manages the database.
The program essentially cross-references government records from
both public and private databases, putting together a dossier on individuals
for use by law enforcement.
Verdi White II, the man Leavitt tapped to be the state's homeland
security specialist, said any data gleaned for Utah's participation in
MATRIX is information already available to law enforcement - and in some
cases the public. White said Utah's participation is at a limited level, and
he described it as an "experiment."
"We will evaluate this and see if it does have value, if we are
able to interdict a crime or apprehend an abducted child. If it does have
value, we wi! ll go to the Legislature and see if they want to participate
in it," he said. White said no cost analysis had been done about continuing
the program past the end of the pilot project in August.
But MATRIX could turn into a conservative punching bag, like the
old "smart card" proposal that would have allowed the Department of Public
Safety to begin a "smart" driver's license that used electronic chips to
store all kinds of information like an allergic reaction to certain
antibiotics. And the state itself could put on the chip information like
criminal history.
But conservatives came out of the woodwork, claiming the "smart
card" could become a national I.D. card, containing all kinds of information
that could be misused by authorities. The bill quickly died.
MATRIX could present the same ethical and political conundrums.
"It sounds like smart card but a lot scarier," said Gayle Ruzicka
of ! the conservative Utah Eagle Forum. "In this case, people don't know
their very personal information is available to law enforcement. I think we
have been hoodwinked."
Ruzicka was familiar with the MATRIX controversy through e-mails
with other conservatives around the country. But she had no idea Utah was a
charter member of the program.
"Utah needs to get out of it. The question is who can get us out,"
she said.
Company officials are tight-lipped about what data it collects,
and Utah officials have been mum about the extent to which the state is
participating.
Utah was one of 13 states that hopped on board the pilot program
last June - funded with $12 million in federal grants. But since then,
several states have pulled out of the project, citing privacy and financial
concerns.
Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union both in Utah and
the nati! onal headquarters in New York say they can't be sure how deep the
state is involved because the state has ignored requests for information.
"What is Utah collecting? We have been trying to find that out for weeks,"
said Jay Stanley, ACLU national spokesman.
Stanley said a Freedom of Information request was submitted Nov.
18, 2003, but there has been no reply. The Utah ACLU also submitted a state
records request to learn what records are being compiled, who has access,
the number of times MATRIX has been used, the circumstances under which it
has been used and what procedures are in place to assure privacy.
"It seems to us this kind of system has enormous implications for
American freedom," Stanley said. "It should not be like pulling teeth to get
information about how it is going to work."
White said the information should be turned over to the ACLU this
week and that officials had been in touch with ACLU attorneys.
Stanley worries that MATRIX combines private police records with
commercially available data compiled by a multibillion-dollar industry that
specializes in "data mining."
"They claim to cover 98 percent of Americans - you, your
neighbors, your family members, your demographics, your lifestyle and
purchasing habits," he said.
It isn't clear whether legislative leaders would have even
recognized those concerns within a federal grant to set up a test
information-sharing program between the states and federal government.
House Speaker Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, said Leavitt
"mentioned" the program to leaders as part of Homeland Security discussions
last year. But MATRIX apparently was never brought to the Executive
Appropriations Committee as a specific discussion, either last session or
during the interim.
"I don't know a lot about it or how it w! orks," said Stephens,
"and I never heard of any of these concerns."
A bigger concern is that Big Brother could be watching every move,
every purchase, every wrong turn.
"Do I want the government compiling all these records on me
through a super database to come up with a dossier?" queried one legislative
staffer who should have known about MATRIX but didn't. "Not only no, but
hell no."
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Narrow" size=3D2>Tim,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Narrow" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Narrow" size=3D2>Thank you for posting =
this. I hope=20
that it sparks some careful debate.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Narrow" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Narrow" size=3D2>Wayne Fox</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dtimlohr@yahoo.com href=3D"mailto:timlohr@yahoo.com">Tim =
Lohrmann</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvision2020@moscow.com=20
href=3D"mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 31, =
2004 9:26=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] 1984 Utah =
Style</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV> And I thought Utah was so "conservative," whatever that =
means=20
anymore.</DIV>
<DIV> TL<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dreplbq=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px =
solid"><BR><BR>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" =
name=3DGENERATOR><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DVerdana color=3D#660000 size=3D5>Dossier program alarms=20
Utahns</FONT></STRONG>=20
<P><FONT face=3DVerdana,Helvetica,Arial size=3D2><B>Copyright 2004 =
Deseret=20
Morning News</B></FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3DVerdana,Helvetica,Arial><B>By Jerry D. Spangler, Amy =
Joi=20
Bryson and Bob Bernick Jr.</B></FONT><BR><FONT =
face=3DVerdana,Helvetica,Arial=20
size=3D2>Deseret Morning News</FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3DGeorgia,Verdana size=3D3> It =
sounds like a=20
sci-fi thriller: a super computer program that gathers dossiers on =
every=20
single man, woman and child =97 everything from birth and marriage =
and divorce=20
history to hunting licenses and car license plates. Even every =
address you=20
have lived at down to the color of your hair.<BR> =
It=20
sounds surreal, but former Gov. Mike Leavitt signed Utah's 2.4 =
million=20
residents up for a pilot program =97 ironically called MATRIX =97 =
that does just=20
that. And he never bothered to reveal details of the program to Utah =
citizens or to state lawmakers who, upon learning of the program on =
Capitol=20
Hill this week, are now worried the state could be involved in a =
program=20
that jeopardizes basic civil liberties.<BR> "I =
am=20
concerned our governor signed us up without ever talking to us, the =
people=20
of the state" said Senate Minority Whip Ron Allen, D-Stansbury Park, =
who has=20
asked legislative analysts to research whether the Legislature ever=20
authorized state participation in the program. "If what I have heard =
is=20
true, then I am concerned about our liberty and our privacy. It is a =
national identification card without ever carrying it."<BR> =
=20
Allen's concerns are shared by his GOP counterparts, who =
worry about=20
government intrusion into people's private lives and the collection =
of=20
comprehensive data on people who have committed no crime.<BR> =
=20
"It certainly sounds like Big Brother to me, a paranoia that=20
government wants to know what all the people are doing because =
government=20
knows best," said Senate Majority Leader Michael Waddoups, =
R-Taylorsville.=20
He had not heard of the program until queried by the Deseret Morning =
News.=20
"I want to find out where the origin of it is in our =
state."<BR> =20
So does Gov. Olene Walker, who on Wednesday requested =
that the=20
Utah Department of Public Safety provide her more information on =
MATRIX.<B!=20
R> "It does appear to be something that began =
under Gov.=20
Leavitt," said Walker's spokeswoman, Amanda Covington, who added, =
"Gov.=20
Walker is very concerned about individual privacy, but she has been =
assured=20
by the Department of Public Safety that is not an issue with=20
MATRIX."<BR> Attempts to reach Leavitt for =
comment on=20
MATRIX were not successful.<BR> House and Senate =
leaders=20
either had never heard of MATRIX or, if the name was familiar, had =
no idea=20
that conservatives and civil libertarians had any concerns over the =
new,=20
super-information network.<BR> MATRIX =97 =
Multistate=20
Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange =97 is an intranet database =
regarded as=20
the nation's largest cyber-compilation of personal records. It is =
touted as=20
an efficient crime-fighting tool that allows agencies to access =
information=20
with just a nimble fingertip.<BR> Searchable =
databases=20
allow law enforcement agents to probe fo! r people using Social =
Security=20
numbers, dates of birth, addresses, property records, motor vehicle=20
information and credit history. The information is collected by =
states and=20
forwarded to a database in Florida, where a private company, Seisint =
Inc.,=20
builds and manages the database.<BR> The program =
essentially cross-references government records from both public and =
private=20
databases, putting together a dossier on individuals for use by law=20
enforcement.<BR> Verdi White II, the man Leavitt =
tapped=20
to be the state's homeland security specialist, said any data =
gleaned for=20
Utah's participation in MATRIX is information already available to =
law=20
enforcement =97 and in some cases the public. White said Utah's =
participation=20
is at a limited level, and he described it as an =
"experiment."<BR> =20
"We will evaluate this and see if it does have value, =
if we=20
are able to interdict a crime or apprehend an abducted child. If it =
does=20
have value, we wi! ll go to the Legislature and see if they want to=20
participate in it," he said. White said no cost analysis had been =
done about=20
continuing the program past the end of the pilot project in=20
August.<BR> But MATRIX could turn into a =
conservative=20
punching bag, like the old "smart card" proposal that would have =
allowed the=20
Department of Public Safety to begin a "smart" driver's license that =
used=20
electronic chips to store all kinds of information like an allergic =
reaction=20
to certain antibiotics. And the state itself could put on the chip=20
information like criminal history.<BR> But =
conservatives=20
came out of the woodwork, claiming the "smart card" could become a =
national=20
I.D. card, containing all kinds of information that could be misused =
by=20
authorities. The bill quickly died.<BR> MATRIX =
could=20
present the same ethical and political conundrums.<BR> =
=20
"It sounds like smart card but a lot scarier," said Gayle Ruzicka of =
! the=20
conservative Utah Eagle Forum. "In this case, people don't know =
their very=20
personal information is available to law enforcement. I think we =
have been=20
hoodwinked."<BR> Ruzicka was familiar with the =
MATRIX=20
controversy through e-mails with other conservatives around the =
country. But=20
she had no idea Utah was a charter member of the program.<BR> =
=20
"Utah needs to get out of it. The question is who can get us =
out,"=20
she said.<BR> Company officials are tight-lipped =
about=20
what data it collects, and Utah officials have been mum about the =
extent to=20
which the state is participating. <B><BR> =
</B>Utah was=20
one of 13 states that hopped on board the pilot program last June =
=97 funded=20
with $12 million in federal grants. But since then, several states =
have=20
pulled out of the project, citing privacy and financial =
concerns.<BR> =20
Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union both =
in Utah=20
and the nati! onal headquarters in New York say they can't be sure =
how deep=20
the state is involved because the state has ignored requests for=20
information. "What is Utah collecting? We have been trying to find =
that out=20
for weeks," said Jay Stanley, ACLU national spokesman.<BR> =
=20
Stanley said a Freedom of Information request was submitted =
Nov. 18,=20
2003, but there has been no reply. The Utah ACLU also submitted a =
state=20
records request to learn what records are being compiled, who has =
access,=20
the number of times MATRIX has been used, the circumstances under =
which it=20
has been used and what procedures are in place to assure =
privacy.<BR> =20
"It seems to us this kind of system has enormous =
implications=20
for American freedom," Stanley said. "It should not be like pulling =
teeth to=20
get information about how it is going to work."<BR> =
=20
White said the information should be turned over to the ACLU this =
week and=20
that officials had been in touch with ACLU attorneys.<BR> =
=20
Stanley worries that MATRIX combines private police records =
with=20
commercially available data compiled by a multibillion-dollar =
industry that=20
specializes in "data mining."<BR> "They claim to =
cover=20
98 percent of Americans =97 you, your neighbors, your family =
members, your=20
demographics, your lifestyle and purchasing habits," he =
said.<BR> =20
It isn't clear whether legislative leaders would have =
even=20
recognized those concerns within a federal grant to set up a test=20
information-sharing program between the states and federal=20
government.<BR> House Speaker Marty Stephens, =
R-Farr=20
West, said Leavitt "mentioned" the program to leaders as part of =
Homeland=20
Security discussions last year. But MATRIX apparently was never =
brought to=20
the Executive Appropriations Committee as a specific discussion, =
either last=20
session or during the interim.<BR> "I don't know =
a lot=20
about it or how it w! orks," said Stephens, "and I never heard of =
any of=20
these concerns." <BR> A bigger concern is that =
Big=20
Brother could be watching every move, every purchase, every wrong=20
turn.<BR> "Do I want the government compiling =
all these=20
records on me through a super database to come up with a dossier?" =
queried=20
one legislative staffer who should have known about MATRIX but =
didn't. "Not=20
only no, but hell no."</P></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
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