crowd control
number 63 07.30.06
Air Marshal Law Alleged to Include Suspicion Quotas
Innocent airline passengers are singled
out for surveillance by employees of the
Federal Air Marshal Service attempting to
adhere to quotas unofficially
implemented by local supervisors,
according to an investigative report by a
Denver television station. Citing
anonymous sources within the Service,
the KMGH-TV News report alleges
that air marshals are expected to file at
least one Surveillance Detection Report
per month, regardless of whether they
have actually witnessed any suspicious
activity. The passengers may then be
unwittingly subjected to classified
investigations, entered into government
security databases, and placed on
international terrorist watch lists.
out for surveillance by employees of the
Federal Air Marshal Service attempting to
adhere to quotas unofficially
implemented by local supervisors,
according to an investigative report by a
Denver television station. Citing
anonymous sources within the Service,
the KMGH-TV News report alleges
that air marshals are expected to file at
least one Surveillance Detection Report
per month, regardless of whether they
have actually witnessed any suspicious
activity. The passengers may then be
unwittingly subjected to classified
investigations, entered into government
security databases, and placed on
international terrorist watch lists.
A pair of internal memos that became
public in July 2004 revealed that
managers in some areas of the country
were maintaining quota systems for the
submission of Surveillance Detection
Reports. Officials at the national level
quickly moved to deny that such quotas
existed, issuing a directive to that effect
in August 2004. But the air marshals
quoted in the KMGH segment insisted
that the practice has continued, even
affecting their performance reviews and
prospects for promotion.
The international terrorist watch lists
and “no fly” lists, which are routinely
consulted by airport security personnel,
are reported to contain as many as
public in July 2004 revealed that
managers in some areas of the country
were maintaining quota systems for the
submission of Surveillance Detection
Reports. Officials at the national level
quickly moved to deny that such quotas
existed, issuing a directive to that effect
in August 2004. But the air marshals
quoted in the KMGH segment insisted
that the practice has continued, even
affecting their performance reviews and
prospects for promotion.
The international terrorist watch lists
and “no fly” lists, which are routinely
consulted by airport security personnel,
are reported to contain as many as
200, 000 names. According to
transportation security analysts, there
is no official process for passengers
to have their names removed from
the lists, even if their inclusion is the
result of mistaken identity or an
administrative error. Significant
problems with the accuracy and
utility of the lists have previously
been reported by redstateupdate.
The air marshals at the center of the
controversy allege that they have
personally witnessed or been
involved in the filing of baseless and
misleading security reports which may
have serious ramifications for the
passengers named. its all true
transportation security analysts, there
is no official process for passengers
to have their names removed from
the lists, even if their inclusion is the
result of mistaken identity or an
administrative error. Significant
problems with the accuracy and
utility of the lists have previously
been reported by redstateupdate.
The air marshals at the center of the
controversy allege that they have
personally witnessed or been
involved in the filing of baseless and
misleading security reports which may
have serious ramifications for the
passengers named. its all true
| interpreting the constitution crowd control spread of the red one nation, under surveillance fun d' mental in bed with the red red state rebate verbatim |
fun d' mental
spread of the red
Army Moves to Limit Torture: Issues ‘Take No Prisoners’ Edict
Senate Votes
to Make Abortion
More Dangerous
to Make Abortion
More Dangerous
Four US soldiers who are charged with
the murder of three Iraqis have told
investigators that their superior officers
had ordered them to “kill all military
aged males” in the raid that they were
engaged in at the time of the killings.
One of the soldiers claimed in sworn
testimony that when he radioed his
superiors, a first sergeant asked angrily,
“Why did you take them prisoner? Why
didn’t you kill them?”
The four soldiers are from the 101st
Airborne Division and are being held in
prison in Iraq pending a hearing
the murder of three Iraqis have told
investigators that their superior officers
had ordered them to “kill all military
aged males” in the raid that they were
engaged in at the time of the killings.
One of the soldiers claimed in sworn
testimony that when he radioed his
superiors, a first sergeant asked angrily,
“Why did you take them prisoner? Why
didn’t you kill them?”
The four soldiers are from the 101st
Airborne Division and are being held in
prison in Iraq pending a hearing
scheduled for August in Tikrit.
The Iraqis were captured in a raid in
northern Iraq. The soldiers disarmed
the Iraqis and bound them. The accused
soldiers claim that the prisoners fought
back and were shot as they attempted
to escape.
Although two previous investigations
into the shootings found no wrongdoing
on the part of the soldiers, another
soldier came forward and reported that
the accused soldiers devised a plan to
release and then kill the Iraqi men.
The Iraqis were captured in a raid in
northern Iraq. The soldiers disarmed
the Iraqis and bound them. The accused
soldiers claim that the prisoners fought
back and were shot as they attempted
to escape.
Although two previous investigations
into the shootings found no wrongdoing
on the part of the soldiers, another
soldier came forward and reported that
the accused soldiers devised a plan to
release and then kill the Iraqi men.
Civilian attorneys representing the
soldiers state that while their clients
acted in self-defense in the shootings,
the commanding officers gave the
order to kill all military aged males
during the raid, an order that would
be illegal under American military
law.
According to the Uniform Code of
the Military, the soldiers could be put
to death if found guilty. 16 US
servicemen have been charged with
murder in Iraq in the past two
months. its all true
soldiers state that while their clients
acted in self-defense in the shootings,
the commanding officers gave the
order to kill all military aged males
during the raid, an order that would
be illegal under American military
law.
According to the Uniform Code of
the Military, the soldiers could be put
to death if found guilty. 16 US
servicemen have been charged with
murder in Iraq in the past two
months. its all true
The US Senate passed a bill that
would make it a crime to
transport a pregnant minor across
state lines to seek an abortion in
order to circumvent parental
notification laws. The senate
approved penalties for violation
of the "Child Interstate Abortion
Notification Act" (CIANA) that
include up to a year in federal
prison and fines up to $100,000.
The legislation has been criticized
by reproductive rights groups who
believe that restricting a young
woman’s right to the procedure
could lead to tragic
consequences, especially in the
case of a victim of abuse. The bill
forces young women to rely
solely on her parents with no
provision that would take into
account situations where there is
an abusive or dysfunctional
parent. The bill also disregards
the importance of other relatives
and close friends by outlawing
their assisting young women
seeking abortions.
The legislation now will be
reconciled with an even more
stringent bill that passed the
House. The House bill also
requires doctors to verbally notify
parents at least 24 hours before
performing an abortion or
provide written notice at least 72
hours before the procedure.
Under the house bill, doctors
who fail to provide the required
notice could be sued for
damages. The bill passed by a
margin of 65 to 34. its all true
would make it a crime to
transport a pregnant minor across
state lines to seek an abortion in
order to circumvent parental
notification laws. The senate
approved penalties for violation
of the "Child Interstate Abortion
Notification Act" (CIANA) that
include up to a year in federal
prison and fines up to $100,000.
The legislation has been criticized
by reproductive rights groups who
believe that restricting a young
woman’s right to the procedure
could lead to tragic
consequences, especially in the
case of a victim of abuse. The bill
forces young women to rely
solely on her parents with no
provision that would take into
account situations where there is
an abusive or dysfunctional
parent. The bill also disregards
the importance of other relatives
and close friends by outlawing
their assisting young women
seeking abortions.
The legislation now will be
reconciled with an even more
stringent bill that passed the
House. The House bill also
requires doctors to verbally notify
parents at least 24 hours before
performing an abortion or
provide written notice at least 72
hours before the procedure.
Under the house bill, doctors
who fail to provide the required
notice could be sued for
damages. The bill passed by a
margin of 65 to 34. its all true
red state rebate
| redstat |
Feds Bequeath Limited Oversight to Wealthy
The Internal Revenue Service has
announced that it intends to layoff nearly
half of its staff that is involved in
investigating and auditing the tax returns
of America’s richest citizens. The IRS
plans to cut 157 of its staff of 345 estate
tax attorneys and their support staff
within the next month. The attorneys
that are to be laid off are responsible for
investigating gifts and transfers between
the very wealthy and their children.
The Bush administration has been
successful, as it has rolled back the taxes
that Americans pay when fortunes are
bequeathed to them as gifts and
inheritances from wealthy relatives. It
has not, however, been successful in
completely eliminating the estate tax.
Some of the attorneys who are currently
threatened by the layoff have told the
New York Times that the action by the
IRS is an attempt to further shield
connected and wealthy Americans from
their legal tax obligations. One IRS
employee said the move was a “back-
announced that it intends to layoff nearly
half of its staff that is involved in
investigating and auditing the tax returns
of America’s richest citizens. The IRS
plans to cut 157 of its staff of 345 estate
tax attorneys and their support staff
within the next month. The attorneys
that are to be laid off are responsible for
investigating gifts and transfers between
the very wealthy and their children.
The Bush administration has been
successful, as it has rolled back the taxes
that Americans pay when fortunes are
bequeathed to them as gifts and
inheritances from wealthy relatives. It
has not, however, been successful in
completely eliminating the estate tax.
Some of the attorneys who are currently
threatened by the layoff have told the
New York Times that the action by the
IRS is an attempt to further shield
connected and wealthy Americans from
their legal tax obligations. One IRS
employee said the move was a “back-
door” effort by the Bush administration
to achieve through job cuts what is has
been thus far been unable to get
Congress to approve.
A spokesperson for the IRS said that the
layoff was needed because taxes on the
wealthy had been reduced or eliminated
under the Bush administration that
translated into less work for agency
auditors. The IRS also said that doing
more audits of large estates would not
likely be worth the effort.
Six years ago the agency reported that
auditors found discrepancies in 85
percent of the large taxable gifts that it
reviewed. At that time, the agency
sought to hire additional staff to audit
taxable gifts of $1 million and more.
Estate-tax lawyers have historically found
more than $2000 worth of taxes owed
to the US government for each hour
they work making them the most
productive IRS auditors the agency
employs. its all true
to achieve through job cuts what is has
been thus far been unable to get
Congress to approve.
A spokesperson for the IRS said that the
layoff was needed because taxes on the
wealthy had been reduced or eliminated
under the Bush administration that
translated into less work for agency
auditors. The IRS also said that doing
more audits of large estates would not
likely be worth the effort.
Six years ago the agency reported that
auditors found discrepancies in 85
percent of the large taxable gifts that it
reviewed. At that time, the agency
sought to hire additional staff to audit
taxable gifts of $1 million and more.
Estate-tax lawyers have historically found
more than $2000 worth of taxes owed
to the US government for each hour
they work making them the most
productive IRS auditors the agency
employs. its all true
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
source: Department of Transportation
in bed with the red
News
DHS Provides Security For Connected Contractors
Graduates Study
Unfamiliar Subject
Unfamiliar Subject
Department of Homeland Security
procedures for awarding and managing
billions of dollars in federal contracts are
poorly organized and prone to abuse,
according to a Congressional report
prepared for the House Government
Reform Committee. The committee
reviewed some 350 separate
government audits and investigations in
an effort to comprehensively assess DHS
contracting operations. The report
specifically highlights 32 contracts worth
a total of $34 billion, which have
“experienced significant overcharges,
wasteful spending, or mismanagement.”
DHS officials routinely fail to plan
projects properly, and increasingly award
contracts to preferred vendors with
limited competitive bidding, according to
the report, which was released last
week. Once contracts are signed, the
department lacks the resources and
experience to monitor their progress or
verify cost overruns. The report
concludes that a shortage of trained
federal contract managers leaves the
system vulnerable to waste and fraud.
Federal contracting for security and
logistical services has surged since the
DHS began operations in January 2003,
but the department, which combined 22
pre-existing federal agencies, has not
expanded its workforce to meet the
procedures for awarding and managing
billions of dollars in federal contracts are
poorly organized and prone to abuse,
according to a Congressional report
prepared for the House Government
Reform Committee. The committee
reviewed some 350 separate
government audits and investigations in
an effort to comprehensively assess DHS
contracting operations. The report
specifically highlights 32 contracts worth
a total of $34 billion, which have
“experienced significant overcharges,
wasteful spending, or mismanagement.”
DHS officials routinely fail to plan
projects properly, and increasingly award
contracts to preferred vendors with
limited competitive bidding, according to
the report, which was released last
week. Once contracts are signed, the
department lacks the resources and
experience to monitor their progress or
verify cost overruns. The report
concludes that a shortage of trained
federal contract managers leaves the
system vulnerable to waste and fraud.
Federal contracting for security and
logistical services has surged since the
DHS began operations in January 2003,
but the department, which combined 22
pre-existing federal agencies, has not
expanded its workforce to meet the
growing need for contract management.
DHS contracting has increased 189
percent since 2003, but the department’
s procurement staff has grown by less
than 20 percent. Over the same period,
the total value of contracts awarded
with limited bidding processes increased
739 percent. DHS Chief Procurement
Officer Elaine C. Duke told the House
Government Reform Committee that
she intended to hire more staff and
improve training procedures to address
the issues raised by the report.
Republican committee chairman Rep.
Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia said in a
statement: “The Department of
Homeland Security has a critical mission.
Unfortunately, its acquisition structure
and workforce challenges, as our report
shows, betray serious weaknesses that
are impeding the ability of DHS to
protect the homeland.”
The committee's senior Democrat, Rep.
Henry A. Waxman of California, was
more bluntly critical of the department,
saying, “Virtually everything that could go
wrong has gone wrong. We’re less
secure and deeper in debt because of
the outrageous mismanagement of these
contracts.” Waxman stated that the
report details "a pattern of reckless
spending, poor planning, and ineffective
oversight." its all true
DHS contracting has increased 189
percent since 2003, but the department’
s procurement staff has grown by less
than 20 percent. Over the same period,
the total value of contracts awarded
with limited bidding processes increased
739 percent. DHS Chief Procurement
Officer Elaine C. Duke told the House
Government Reform Committee that
she intended to hire more staff and
improve training procedures to address
the issues raised by the report.
Republican committee chairman Rep.
Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia said in a
statement: “The Department of
Homeland Security has a critical mission.
Unfortunately, its acquisition structure
and workforce challenges, as our report
shows, betray serious weaknesses that
are impeding the ability of DHS to
protect the homeland.”
The committee's senior Democrat, Rep.
Henry A. Waxman of California, was
more bluntly critical of the department,
saying, “Virtually everything that could go
wrong has gone wrong. We’re less
secure and deeper in debt because of
the outrageous mismanagement of these
contracts.” Waxman stated that the
report details "a pattern of reckless
spending, poor planning, and ineffective
oversight." its all true
American workers with college
degrees experienced an inflation-
adjusted 5.2 percent net decline in
earnings between 2000 and 2004,
according to a report in the Los
Angeles Times. It marks the first
time since the mid-1970’s that wage
stagnation has significantly affected
college graduates during a time of
economic expansion. The report
concludes that the underlying causes
of current market conditions may
lead to long-term or permanent
erosion of the earnings of college
graduates in the US.
Competition from rapidly growing
economies in Asia and South
America, which initially largely
affected the manufacturing sector,
has now resulted in substantial
relocation of white collar operations
to these countries. At the same
time, US corporations have actively
sought to reduce salaries and benefits
through the employment of
contingent workers. “There’s a clear
deterioration in the college labor
market,” economist Paul Harrington
of Northeastern University told the
Times, “The American economy just
does not generate jobs the way it has
historically.” its all true
degrees experienced an inflation-
adjusted 5.2 percent net decline in
earnings between 2000 and 2004,
according to a report in the Los
Angeles Times. It marks the first
time since the mid-1970’s that wage
stagnation has significantly affected
college graduates during a time of
economic expansion. The report
concludes that the underlying causes
of current market conditions may
lead to long-term or permanent
erosion of the earnings of college
graduates in the US.
Competition from rapidly growing
economies in Asia and South
America, which initially largely
affected the manufacturing sector,
has now resulted in substantial
relocation of white collar operations
to these countries. At the same
time, US corporations have actively
sought to reduce salaries and benefits
through the employment of
contingent workers. “There’s a clear
deterioration in the college labor
market,” economist Paul Harrington
of Northeastern University told the
Times, “The American economy just
does not generate jobs the way it has
historically.” its all true
redstateupdate.net
verbatim number 12.3
| redstat archive |
| verbatim archive |
| Inside Wrigley Field |
"I believe what I'm
doing is constitutional,
and I know it's
necessary. ...
doing is constitutional,
and I know it's
necessary. ...
...And so we're going
to keep doing it."
Cleveland 03.20.06
to keep doing it."
Cleveland 03.20.06