Patriot Act at work! Background check before opening a Mutual Fund!

[in_cog_ni_to]

Just heard on CNN, starting this fall, anyone wishing to start a Mutual Fund will have a background check done on them! All in the name of "Homeland Security"!!!!! Also, it will cost 2 to 3 times more to open a Mutual Fund because of the background check cost to the MF company. Holy Moly! This is going to do wonders for investing, isn't it? There is NO WAY in hell I would open a Mutual Fund now! If the person who doesn't pass the background check requirement, they get their money back and ????? a visit from Ashcroft? Damn! I HATE this!

[E_Zapata]

1. They aren't "checking" for terrorist ties

All these checks all over the place are simply for the purpose of creating a database of americans. Sure, there's the social security database, but somehow they need something a little better. Creating a dosier of sorts on all americans.

I don't use a banking account anymore. Or the library. Or doctors.

They can track me down with my tax return.

But remember, the evil ones were saying just last week that the IRS is 'considering' releasing info on americans to homeland security. For 'national security' reasons, of course.

[ikojo]

2. Be sure the thank all the Repukes AND

Democrats, including Richard Gephardt and others, who voted for the Patriot Act. Of course those voting for such a draconian measure probably have little to worry about when it comes to suffering the affects of the Act.

[matcom]

3. I work for a Mortgage Company

want to refi?

you now have to fax a picture of your drivers license BEFORE they will do a credit check and start the title search etc...

hope your not a brown person if your looking to get a lower rate :eyes:

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. You have got to be kidding!

I know your not...but, wish you were! This whole thing is so, so Hitlerish? When the background check, Social Security information clearinghouse started with the airlines, I thought...THAT sucks! I will NEVER fly again if that's the case. I could at least control how much personal info they could get by NOT flying. Wrong. There's NO controling this now. We are screwed. Big Brother is out of control! Our ONLY hope is for Democrats to take over in 2004.

[T Bone]

7. Same routine for a car loan now

Salesman said: "there are certain people we can't sell a car to now".

[OldSoldier]

10. Car *loan* hell!

I bought a car with cash on Monday--a car that cost less than $1000, incidentally. They had to take a copy of my driver's license for that too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Be sure to write congress

yes they need to hear from us the little people and yes it works, here is my poisoned pen this morning... short sweet and to the point.

__________________

Dear Sirs,

CNN is covering that starting this fall anyone opening a mutual fund will have a background check. Ok this is my internal alarm going, and reminding me that we are loosing rights faster than you can say Bill of Rights.

This is a very serious concern.

This is increasingly reminding me of a Police State and it may be time to look into moving to a FREE COUNTRY before it is too late, and becoming an Ex Pat, and these are not words I ever expected to write, but increasingly I find myself writing them.

As a daughter of the holocaust this raises way too many alarms, and you both are from Hawaii and know of that history of Internment Camps. Are we going to wake up when the first camps for disidents go up?

As Franklin once wrote, those who are willing to give up liberty for security, deserve neither. I also wonder if the Republic is dead.

Sincerely,

************

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. I'll be writing to congress

As far as I'm concerned they are ALL responsible for BLINDLY signing onto that atrocious Act...without actually READING the damn thing?! How could they be so stupid? I'm mad as hell about this...they will be getting letters from me, I promise. :grr:

[LiberalVoice]

5. You think thats bad?

My step-father is an Egyptian who has lived in the u.s. for several years now had his accounts closed by American Express for no reason that they can come up with as to why. He was forced to close his store because of it. Turns out several thousand arabs living in america have had there accounts closed by Amex. Apparently some sort of class action suit is being started.

[dofus]

9. A couple of days ago

I was speaking about the currently political situation with a woman who mentioned that her husband, a naturalized citizen, is from Pakistan, and is very afraid to speak out about anything for fear he'll lose his citizenship. Two and a half years ago I would have laughed in her face at such a fear, but today I realize that they are right to be afraid. Such is the place we are now in our history.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I am and I realize the risks I take

every day

[cmd]

16. I am so sorry and ashamed

Our forefathers must be rolling over in their graves.

[in_cog_ni_to]

13. I feel so sorry

for people who came here for our freedoms and "way of life" and are being scrutinized in the name of "Homeland Security". What a crock of sh*t!

The other morning on C-SPAN a woman called in and said she wished someone would get rid of Bush...she actually called for an assassination. A Repuke caller called in and told her she had better start looking over her shoulder and EXPECT a visit from John Ashcroft for stating her opinion. Sad thing is, he was right. We do not have "freedom of speech" anymore, either. That lady is probably sitting in some jail somewhere.

[teryang]

12. The pretexts for creation of lists of all citizens

...and inventorying their personal property by the police state is the major enabling mechanism and hallmark of the nascent totalitarian state. If all private business affairs are now the business of the centralized state, how could it be said that we are a free people?

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. We aren't a free people,

anymore. :grr:

[Mairead]

15. How many of you guys are not yet supporting Dennis Kucinich?

Remember: he's the only one who voted against that law, the only one who's actively working to gut it, and the only one who's promised to toss it in the midden where it belongs.

If you hate that law, Dennis should be your candidate.

[RetroLounge]

18. I like Dennis and all, but lets be honest.

Dean and Clark did not vote for it.

and I believe they both think it was a bad thing to.

[Mairead]

25. Yes, let's be honest

Dean has recently expressed reservations about parts of it; he's on record as saying he'd 'modify' it. Clark I don't know about--his political image is startlingly unformed at this point (unlike Zinni's, for example).

But there's nothing easier than to be for or against something when you've never had to go up against, perhaps, some wealthy elites who want you to vote a certain way on the issue.

[baldguy]

17. I work at a bank.

To open a regular checking acct, you need to show two forms of ID, your social security card, some proof of residence (a copy of a lease or utility bill).

Of course, these rules only inconvienience regular, law-abiding citizens. Terrorists and criminals have no problem producing such documentation.

[TAH6988]

19. Why shouldn't you have to show those documents?

If I take a check from you, and it bounces, I want to be DAMN sure the bank upon which that check was issued can find your stealing ass.

[bhunt70]

22. agreed

I also work at a bank and not much has changed. In this instance the PA just requires that you have atleast one of those pieces of information (DL, State ID, Passport etc). Whether the actual bank requires more than that is up to the bank.

I wouldn't necessarily call it a background check, because the information we have is used to protects your money in the first place and is never sent anywhere, never looked at except by the clerk to enter it into the system etc. When every bank is hooked up to the internet and walking into a bank is no longer required to do most functions I think this is needed.

[teryang]

20. I don't have any problem with that but

...should you account number and balance then be reported to the government? It will be if you deposit $10,000 or more. This unwarranted invasion of privacy was the product of the war on drugs. This latest development with mutual funds reflects the steady evisceration of fourth and fifth amendment rights.

[TAH6988]

21. Isn't that only if you deposit

$10,000 or more in cash at any one time?

[bhunt70]

23. yes

and its always been like that. Watch Scarface, he was worried about that back before the patriot act.

[TAH6988]

24. Thanks!! N/T