[FedCom] IMPORTANT BAD NEWS - Homeland Security bill includes HR3482

[A10382]

The very real, and very sad, fact is that our elected reps hardly ever
actually read the legislation they vote on.  They typically follow party
guidance (and that's not always what's in the best interest of their
electorate).  I find it almost sinful that most legislation is voted along
party lines....

The inclusion of riders and other non-related bills on a piece of
legislation are all done in the name of efficiency.  It's apparent to me
that our Congress just does too much.  They should have a set of written
legal constitutional principles - and if a piece of legislation does not
advance, foster or fix those principles, it never should make it to the
floor .. plain and simple.

What ever happened to the government 'of, by, and for' the people ??

The fact that the legislation may never be enforced is as sinful as
legislation that potentially makes felons of millions of citizens for rather
innocuous activities.  It IS the first step toward a much less free & open
society in which selective prosecution becomes a reality.  Unenforceable
legislation creates an atmosphere of non-compliance and anarchy - something
we already have in more than a few venues.

Frank


 ._._.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Harry Marnell" <marnells@snowcrest.net>
To: <fedcom@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 6:36 PM
Subject: Re: [FedCom] IMPORTANT BAD NEWS - Homeland Security bill includes
HR3482


> Everyone seems to agree about the harshness of the potential sentences,
but
> there is some possible mitigation up at the top, in Section 101 (b) (2)
>
> < I've snipped some stuff here...>:
>
> (b) REQUIREMENTS- In carrying out this section, the Sentencing Commission
> shall--
>
>     (2) consider the following factors and the extent to which the
guidelines
> may or may not account for them--
>
>         (A) the potential and actual loss resulting from the offense;
yadda
> yadda
>
>         (C) whether the offense was committed for purposes of commercial
> advantage or private financial benefit;
>
>         (D) whether the defendant acted with malicious intent to cause
harm in
> committing the offense;
>
>         (G) whether the violation was intended to or had the effect of
> significantly interfering with or disrupting a critical infrastructure;
and
>
>         (H) whether the violation was intended to or had the effect of
creating
> a threat to public health or safety, or injury to any person;
>
> etc etc    Still a chillingly dreadful way to run a "free" country.
>
> Harry
>
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>


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