Friday, August 13, 2004
day 83/reason 18: federal interference in state issues
(Okay, I've somehow been extra busy the past few days and have been delinquent on my daily posts. Things should improve this week... Meanwhile, back at reasons to vote against W...)
NPR reported a few days ago about a legal battle in California over the state's new privacy law. Banks want to overturn the state's new landmark financial privacy laws. This means that not only do BofA and other banks want to be able to share detailed information about you to insurance or other companies they are affiliated with, they also don't want to have to inform you if they share info with non-affiliated companies.
All of this is in the name of "promoting affordable financial services," aka, selling your information for a profit so that other companies can bombard you with ads for their services based on their intimate knowledge of your financial situation.
Californians worked hard to put these privacy laws in place, and now not only are the banks fighting it, Bush has stepped in to urge the federal judge in charge of the case to side with the banks.
Now call me crazy, but I thought W and his gang were all about smaller federal government. But his administration seems to be interfering an awful lot in state issues. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act is another example of our meddling federal government. Oregonians have twice voted for this law, but because it doesn't square with the administration's religious beliefs, they set Ashcroft loose on the case to overturn Oregon law.
Interestly, Bush said in his 2003 State of the Union address: "Instead of bureaucrats and trial lawyers and HMOs, let's put doctors, nurses and patients in charge of American medicine," he said.
Waffles, anyone?
¶ 12:11 AM
(Okay, I've somehow been extra busy the past few days and have been delinquent on my daily posts. Things should improve this week... Meanwhile, back at reasons to vote against W...)
NPR reported a few days ago about a legal battle in California over the state's new privacy law. Banks want to overturn the state's new landmark financial privacy laws. This means that not only do BofA and other banks want to be able to share detailed information about you to insurance or other companies they are affiliated with, they also don't want to have to inform you if they share info with non-affiliated companies.
All of this is in the name of "promoting affordable financial services," aka, selling your information for a profit so that other companies can bombard you with ads for their services based on their intimate knowledge of your financial situation.
Californians worked hard to put these privacy laws in place, and now not only are the banks fighting it, Bush has stepped in to urge the federal judge in charge of the case to side with the banks.
Now call me crazy, but I thought W and his gang were all about smaller federal government. But his administration seems to be interfering an awful lot in state issues. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act is another example of our meddling federal government. Oregonians have twice voted for this law, but because it doesn't square with the administration's religious beliefs, they set Ashcroft loose on the case to overturn Oregon law.
Interestly, Bush said in his 2003 State of the Union address: "Instead of bureaucrats and trial lawyers and HMOs, let's put doctors, nurses and patients in charge of American medicine," he said.
Waffles, anyone?
¶ 12:11 AM
