Senator Dodd is trying to pull a fast one in HR 3221 by slipping in a provision, totally unrelated to preventing foreclosures, that would require that personal credit card purchases must be reported to the Federal Government.
"The bill specifically targets payment systems like eBay's PayPal, Amazon, and Google Checkout that are used by many small online businesses. The privacy implications for America's small businesses are breathtaking."
My first concern is how many people will lose their homes while this unrelated rider ties up votes? Dodd appears willing to risk people's homes in order to spy on our personal lives.
A question that comes to mind is why should it be any business of the Federal Government to know what I buy and from whom? What kind of data mining operation do they plan to do with this information. Do we get the opportunity to opt-out of this invasion of privacy in any way other than by terminating all of our credit and debit cards?
I do not see any safeguards in place as to how the information can be used and by whom. It would appear to allow lining our social security numbers to these transactions, creating more chances for identity theft. The bill does not seem to shield this information from the FOI act.
How will the Federal Government use our credit scores against of for us? Will Americans who buy ammo on a credit card then be added to a government list of gun owners even if they are not so registered? What about people who wish to purchase adult materials online for personal use. Are they going to be isolated into a list of "perverts" by the feds? What will this type of reporting do to many types of businesses that rely on credit card sales along with discretion?
Would these lists of transactions be turned against someone forced into bankruptcy?
Could this information be used in criminal IRS investigations even though the data was collected without the issuance of a search warrant, despite a person's right to be free from self incrimination? Would people have to agree to waive their 5th amendment rights against self incrimination in order to obtain credit from a private bank? Will this even be pointed out as a condition on a credit card application?
Will airline and car rental purchases be used to track the movements of Americans?
Will each person be entitled to a copy of all such information collected about them by the Federal Government?
Will these transactions be used to see who contributed to who's campaign, or donated to which progressive or conservative causes? Or what magazines or papers I choose to subscribe to? Or what brand of toilet paper I use?
This is yet another very bad law to SPY on Americans and to build personal dossiers on people to be used in who knows what ways.
While I commend his efforts to block passage of FISA with immunity intact, this slight-of-hand maneuver is contrary to his apparent opposition to spying on Americans. Dodd says the bill will raise money...Is that amount what he thinks is the value of our right to be free from government's intrusion into our personal lives? Will he mail each of us our share as a tax fee check? It will never be enough!
Don't allow this to pass....it is too reminiscent of the N@zi registering of the Jews.
Write / fax / call your representative and senator NOW before it is too late. This is yet another spy measure by Congress...and this one has nothing to do with protecting us from anyone...it is a grab for money in exchange for your privacy.
