January 19th 2007 News from The Liberty Coalition

Dear Friends of Liberty,

The Democrats first 100 hours in power are now up and the best we can say for civil liberties is that they have been diminished once again but under new leadership. Under Title VII, subtitle D of the act creates fusion centers across the country where all levels of government and the private sector share in the collection, exchange and analysis of intelligence and law enforcement data. What type of data? From the findings of the law: "Participation by local and tribal law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts in fusion centers helps secure the homeland by involving such officers and analysts in the intelligence process on a daily basis, by helping them build professional relationships across every level and discipline of government and the private sector, and by ensuring that intelligence and other information, including threat assessment, public safety, law enforcement, public health, social service, and public works, is shared throughout and among relevant communities. Such local and tribal participation in fusion centers supports the efforts of all law enforcement agencies and departments to anticipate, identify, monitor, and prevent terrorist and related criminal activity." Why would so-called terror tracking efforts include collecting information on social services and public works? What type of public health information will be collected? That question is very relevant today considering the definition of public health has expanded way beyond just communicable diseases. This seems like Big Big brother to me. Hopefully, the Senate will do a better job than the House and at least remove one of the Big from Big Big Brother.

 

The Liberty Coalition welcomes its newest partner: American Families United

 

Take Action: Agriculture Department Imposing New Program to Drive Family Farms Out of Business

 

Liberty Coalition In The News:

Decision to Boot Flake a Slap in the Face of Liberty

 

Liberty Coalition's Senior Policy Fellow Doug Bandow releases new book on U.S. Foreign Policy entitled "Foreign Follies: America's New Global Empire"

Constitutional Questions:

Gonzales Questions Habeas Corpus

 

Data Mining and Government Surveillance:

Testimony concerning the Privacy Implications of Government Data Mining Programs by Robert Barr

Military Expands Intelligence Role in U.S.

 

Medical Privacy:

Spread of records stirs fears of privacy erosion

 

National ID:

Activist: DHS considering outsourcing work for ID law

 

Education and Cognitive Liberty:

America’s Schoolchildren Are Treated Like Lab Rats

New Education Initiative: Public Education as Transnational Corporate Welfare

Getting the State Out of Our Heads: The Brainwashing of America

 

Federalism:

Governors lose in power struggle over National Guard

 

Saying of the Week:

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed- and thus clamorous to be led to safety- by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." - H.L. Menchen

The Liberty Coalition works to help organize, support, and coordinate transpartisan public policy activities related to civil liberties and basic human rights. We work in conjunction with groups of partner organizations that are interested in preserving the Bill of Rights, personal autonomy and individual privacy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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