Guest guest Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 > About 165 communities nationwide have passed > resolutions condemning the USA Patriot Act. But one > little city in northern California has taken its > opposition a step further, making it a misdemeanor for > city employees to cooperate in enforcing the federal > antiterrorism measure. > > > > Communities shun Patriot Act > http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030720-115938-3269r.htm > > > > Communities shun Patriot Act > > > By Guy Taylor > THE WASHINGTON TIMES > > > > About 165 communities nationwide have passed > resolutions condemning the USA Patriot Act. But one > little city in northern California has taken its > opposition a step further, making it a misdemeanor for > city employees to cooperate in enforcing the federal > antiterrorism measure. > > In March, Arcata officials set down a $57 fine for > those who don't " promptly notify the city manager " if > federal law-enforcement authorities contact them > seeking help in an investigation, interrogation or > arrest under the provisions of the act. > > But a city fine would be nothing compared with the > penalties an Arcata official faces for obstructing a > federal probe, a Justice Department spokesman said. > " Obviously, the folks [in Arcata] who voted for > this ordinance haven't read the law, " said Justice > Department spokesman Mark C. Corallo. > > " This is not the FBI or the Justice Department > acting unilaterally, " Mr. Corallo said. " Just like any > other criminal investigation, these are tools that are > not just legal, but they are constitutional and they > are tools that have been available for law-enforcement > authorities for decades. " > > The Patriot Act's most-criticized provision, for > so-called roving wiretaps, merely allows investigators > to " track a terrorist, instead of having to get > multiple warrants for every phone the guy uses, " Mr. > Corallo explained. > > Still, critics say, the reason so many communities > are denouncing the Patriot Act is because they believe > the measure - passed in the wake of the September 11 > attacks - vastly expands the power of federal > investigators, not only for investigating terrorism > suspects, but also for probing into the lives of > ordinary Americans. > > Most of the resolutions being signed against the > 340-page act - the acronym stands for " Uniting and > Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools > Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism " - > condemn its provisions that compel libraries and > bookstores to assist federal investigators in > monitoring the reading habits of suspects. > > Timothy H. Edgar, the legislative counsel for the > American Civil Liberties Union, said that a far more > frightening provision of the Patriot Act is one that > " allows investigators to sneak into your house with a > warrant and conduct a search and not notify you until > much later, if at all. " > > Further, according to a report issued earlier this > month by the ACLU, the act gives the FBI " access to > highly personal 'business records' - including > financial, medical, mental health, library and student > records - with no meaningful judicial oversight. " > > The report continues: " Federal officials actually > can obtain a court order for records of the books you > borrow from libraries or buy from bookstores, without > showing probable cause of criminal activity or intent > - and the librarian or bookseller cannot even tell you > that the government is investigating what you read. " > > Justice Department officials say such criticisms > are arbitrary, noting that investigators still are > required to get permission from a federal judge to > obtain records about the reading habits of suspects. > Mr. Corallo said the wave of objections to the Patriot > Act has done little more than illustrate some > Americans' " incredible ignorance of federal law. " > > But Arcata officials aren't second-guessing > themselves; they take pride in their city's stance. " A > lot of people are becoming more aware of the problems > with the Patriot Act, " says Arcata Mayor Bob Ornelas. > > " We were the first to put it in our municipal > code, " he said. " It's one thing to have a > proclamation; we have an ordinance saying you can't > engage in the Patriot Act where it violates people's > constitutional rights. " > > Arcata, a town of about 16,000 nearly 300 miles > north of San Francisco, made headlines as a haven of > liberalism in the early 1990s when its City Council > became first in the country with a Green Party > majority. But Mr. Ornales and others point out that > liberals aren't the only ones objecting to the Patriot > Act. > > " From the NAACP to the NRA, people are working > together on these resolutions, " says ACLU spokesman > Damon Moglin, in reference to the National Association > for the Advancement of Colored People and the National > Rifle Association. " We see this as being a true > grass-roots response. " > > The ACLU's July 3 report says " more than 16 > million people in 26 states have passed resolutions " > condemning the Patriot Act, and that among them are > some " traditionally conservative locales, such as > Oklahoma City ... Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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