[CENTER]
[SIZE="4"]U.S. Department of Labor[/SIZE]
[SIZE="3"]Bureau of Labor Statistics[/SIZE]
Occupational Outlook Handbook

[SIZE="3"]EMPLOYMENT OF PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS
EXPECTED TO GROW FASTER THAN ALL OCCUPATIONS
THROUGH 2012![/SIZE]
(Source - US Department of Labor statistics)[/CENTER]

NATURE OF WORK:

Private investigators and detectives use many methods to determine the facts in a variety of matters. To carry out investigations, they may use various types of surveillance or searches. To verify facts, such as an individual’s place of employment or income, they may make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators often interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. In all cases, private investigators and detectives assist attorneys, businesses, and the public with legal, financial, and personal problems.

Private investigators and detectives offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. They investigate computer crimes, such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. They also provide assistance in civil liability and personal injury cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, missing persons cases, and premarital screening. They are sometimes hired to investigate individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.

Most private investigators and detectives are trained to perform physical surveillance. They may observe a site, such as the home of a subject, from an inconspicuous location or a vehicle. They continue the surveillance, which is often carried out using still and video cameras, binoculars, and a cell phone, until the desired evidence is obtained.

Private investigators and detectives also may perform computer database searches or work with someone who does. Computers allow investigators to quickly obtain massive amounts of information on individuals’ prior arrests, convictions, and civil legal judgments; telephone numbers; motor vehicle registrations; association and club memberships; and other matters.

The duties of private investigators and detectives depend on the needs of their clients. In cases for employers that involve fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, for example, investigators may carry out long-term covert observation of subjects. If an investigator observes a subject performing an activity that contradicts injuries stated in a worker’s compensation claim, the investigator would take video or still photographs to document the activity and report it to the client.

Private investigators and detectives often specialize. Those who focus on intellectual property theft, for example, investigate and document acts of piracy, help clients stop illegal activity, and provide intelligence for prosecution and civil action. Other investigators specialize in developing financial profiles and asset searches. Their reports reflect information gathered through interviews, investigation and surveillance, and research, including review of public documents.

Legal investigators specialize in cases involving the courts and are normally employed by law firms or lawyers. They frequently assist in preparing criminal defenses, locating witnesses, serving legal documents, interviewing police and prospective witnesses, and gathering and reviewing evidence. Legal investigators also may collect information on the parties to the litigation, take photographs, testify in court, and assemble evidence and reports for trials.

Corporate investigators conduct internal and external investigations for corporations. In internal investigations, they may investigate drug use in the workplace, ensure that expense accounts are not abused, or determine whether employees are stealing merchandise or information. External investigations are typically done to uncover criminal schemes originating outside the corporation, such as theft of company assets through fraudulent billing of products by suppliers.

Financial investigators may be hired to develop confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies that are prospective parties to large financial transactions. These investigators often are certified public accountants (CPAs) who work closely with investment bankers and other accountants. They search for assets in order to recover damages awarded by a court in fraud or theft cases.

Detectives who work for retail stores or hotels are responsible for controlling losses and protecting assets. Store detectives, also known as loss prevention agents, safeguard the assets of retail stores by apprehending anyone attempting to steal merchandise or destroy store property. They prevent theft by shoplifters, vendor representatives, delivery personnel and even store employees. Store detectives also conduct periodic inspections of stock areas, dressing rooms, and restrooms, and sometimes assist in opening and closing the store. They may prepare loss prevention and security reports for management and testify in court against persons they apprehend. Hotel detectives protect guests of the establishment from theft of their belongings and preserve order in hotel restaurants and bars. They also may keep undesirable individuals, such as known thieves, off the premises.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Private investigators and detectives often work irregular hours because of the need to conduct surveillance and contact people who are not available during normal working hours. Early morning, evening, weekend, and holiday work is common.
[SIZE="1"](IPIU poll shows an increasing amount of assignments are conducted during business hours, as well as the early evening hours and weekends)[/SIZE]

Many private investigators and detectives spend time away from their offices conducting interviews or doing surveillance, but some work in their office most of the day conducting computer searches and making phone calls. Those who have their own agencies and employ other investigators may work primarily in an office and have normal business hours.
[SIZE="1"](IPIU poll shows 75% of all agencies are operated from a private home office)[/SIZE]

When the investigator is working on a case away from the office, the environment might range from plush boardrooms to seedy bars. Store and hotel detectives work in the businesses that they protect. Investigators generally work alone, but they sometimes work with others during surveillance or when following a subject in order to avoid detection by the subject.

Some of the work involves confrontation, so the job can be stressful and dangerous. Some situations call for the investigator to be armed, such as certain bodyguard assignments for corporate or celebrity clients. Private investigators and detectives who carry handguns must be licensed by the appropriate authority. In most cases, however, a weapon is not necessary, because the purpose of the work is gathering information and not law enforcement or criminal apprehension. Owners of investigative agencies have the added stress of having to deal with demanding and sometimes distraught clients.
[SIZE="1"](IPIU poll shows 95% of cases are not dangerous)[/SIZE]

TRAINING, OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, AND ADVANCEMENT:

There are no formal education requirements for most private investigator and detective jobs, although many private investigators have college degrees. Private investigators and detectives typically have previous experience in other occupations. Some work initially for insurance or collections companies, in the private security industry, or as paralegals. Many investigators enter the field after serving in law enforcement, the military, government auditing and investigative positions, or Federal intelligence jobs.
[SIZE="1"](IPIU poll shows 90% of all private investigator trainees had no prior experience prior to completing their academic and on-the-job training assignments) [/SIZE]

Former law enforcement officers, military investigators, and government agents, who are frequently able to retire after 25 years of service, often become private investigators and detectives in a second career. Others enter from such diverse fields as finance, accounting, commercial credit, investigative reporting, insurance, and law. These individuals often can apply their prior work experience in a related investigative specialty. A few enter the occupation directly after graduation from college, generally with associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice or police science.

The majority of States and the District of Columbia require private investigators and detectives to be licensed.

Licensing requirements vary, however: seven States—Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and South Dakota—have no statewide licensing requirements, some States have few requirements, and many other States have stringent regulations.

A growing number of States are enacting mandatory training programs for private investigators and detectives. For example, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs requires private investigators to be 18 years of age or older; have a combination of education in police science, criminal law, or justice and experience equaling 3 years (6,000 hours) of investigative experience; pass a criminal history background check by the California Department of Justice and the FBI (in some States, convicted felons cannot be issued a license); and receive a qualifying score on a 2-hour written examination covering laws and regulations. There are additional requirements for a firearms permit.

For private investigators and detectives jobs, most employers look for individuals with ingenuity, persistence, and assertiveness. A candidate must not be afraid of confrontation, should communicate well, and should be able to think on his or her feet. Good interviewing and interrogation skills also are important and usually are acquired in earlier careers in law enforcement or other fields. Because the courts often are the ultimate judge of a properly conducted investigation, the investigator must be able to present the facts in a manner that a jury will believe.

Training in subjects such as criminal justice and police science is helpful to aspiring private investigators and detectives. Most corporate investigators must have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a business-related field. Some corporate investigators have a master’s degree in business administration or a law degree, while others are CPAs. Corporate investigators hired by large companies may receive formal training from their employers on business practices, management structure, and various finance-related topics. The screening process for potential employees typically includes a background check for a criminal history.

Some investigators receive certification from a professional organization to demonstrate competency in a field. For example, the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) confers the Certified Legal Investigator designation to licensed investigators who devote a majority of their practice to negligence or criminal defense investigations. To receive the designation, applicants must satisfy experience, educational, and continuing-training requirements and must pass written and oral exams administered by the NALI.

Most private-investigative agencies are small, with little room for advancement. Usually, there are no defined ranks or steps, so advancement takes the form of increases in salary and assignment status. Many private investigators and detectives work for investigative agencies at the beginning of their careers and, after a few years, start their own firms. Corporate and legal investigators may rise to supervisor or manager of the security or investigations department.

EMPLOYMENT:

Private investigators and detectives held about 43,000 jobs in 2004. About 26 percent were self-employed, including many who held a secondary job as a self-employed private investigator. Around 27 percent of jobs were in investigation and security services, including private investigative agencies, while another 15 percent were in department or other general merchandise stores. The rest worked mostly in State and local government, legal services firms, employment services companies, insurance agencies, and credit mediation establishments, including banks and other depository institutions.

JOB OUTLOOK:

Keen competition is expected because private investigators and detectives careers attract many qualified people, including relatively young retirees from law enforcement and military careers. The best opportunities will be in entry-level jobs with investigative agencies or in stores that hire private investigators and detectives on a part-time basis. The best prospects for those seeking store detective jobs will be with large chains and discount stores.
[SIZE="1"](IPIU poll shows the most employment opportunities are with both established agencies and new agencies who choose to expand nationwide, or through the IPIU Executive Agency Program.)[/SIZE]

Employment of private investigators and detectives is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012. In addition to growth, replacement of those who retire or leave the occupation for other reasons should create many job openings.

Increased demand for private investigators and detectives will result from fear of crime, increased litigation, and the need to protect confidential information and property of all kinds.

The proliferation of criminal activity on the Internet, such as identity theft, spamming, e-mail harassment, and illegal downloading of copyrighted materials, will increase the demand for private investigators.

Employee background checks, conducted by private investigators, will become standard for an increasing number of jobs.

Growing financial activity worldwide will increase the demand for investigators to control internal and external financial losses and to monitor competitors and prevent industrial spying.

EARNINGS:

Median annual earnings of salaried private investigators and detectives were $32,110 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $24,080 and $43,260. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,260, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $58,470. Earnings of private investigators and detectives vary greatly by employer, specialty, and geographic area.

[SIZE="1"](IPIU poll shows self-employed private investigators are earning an additional 50% to 150% above the salaried reports, in addition to having the benefit of tax deductible items not afforded by a salaried employee, which explains why private investigators can earn $50,000 to $100,000 a year)

Donna Reagan wrote:

---

[B]The government report is only including waged hourly employees, and NOT the majority of private investigators who also own their own agency or are independent investigators.

If I need $100,000 a year to live in New York City and I report my taxes as an employee of my own agency, my employment check from my agency is going to be in the area of what the government is showing and NOT $100,000 a year. But the remaining income that I do not report on my personal tax return is reported on my business report as authorized business related "expenses", which include a very good portion of how I spend my money, only I spend it under the agency instead of under my personal wage.

Examples: Internet, transportation, food, computer, some clothing, phone, postage, utility, cable, books, insurance, just about everything (but not all) that is not reported to the government report.

Curious? Talk to your CPA.

---

[CENTER]WARNING![/CENTER]

FORGED EMAILS, also known as Spoofed Emails.
For more details: Click here

-------------
UPDATE for fraudulent emails: 3-30-2007
Now receiving forged email from:

admin@microsoft.com Subject: Internet Explorer 7 Downloads

FRAUDLENT EMAILS: Paypal, Yahoo, Ebay, IPIU, Others:

Warning, you may be receiving forged emails asking you to log into your accounts at Ebay, Paypal, Yahoo, IPIU, and others.

These emails LOOK OFFICIAL, but they are not.

When you read these emails and it gives you a link in the email to log in, just place your mouse over the link and read the real link in your STATUS BAR at the bottom of your page. (Or, right-click and choose properties to see the real link).

Example of a fake Ebay email:

They ask you to sign in at a secured site at:
https://signin.ebay.com/

However, the Properties of the above link in the email show the following site:

http://24.1.233.198:81/signin.ebay.com/

The above web site is really http://24.1.233.198:81 located in Texas and NOT the real ebay site in California.

If you had logged into the fake site at 24.1.233.198:81, then they would have your Ebay Name and Passcode to commit fraud!

PERSONAL OPINION Only:

Parents upset daughter questioned by Secret Service for Assassination Promotion???

Give me a break!

What kind of culture do we now have to endure where parents let their teens promote the killing of the President of the United States! And what kind of parents would have an "issue" with their alleged contract killer to be questioned by the president's Secret Service?

Time for the president to give this whole family a one way ticket to any other country of their choosing.

As in Canada or the USA, love it or leave it.

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Upset by the war in Iraq, Julia Wilson vented her frustrations with President Bush last spring on her Web page on MySpace.com.
She posted a picture of the president, scrawled "Kill Bush" across the top and drew a dagger stabbing his outstretched hand. She later replaced her page on the social-networking site after learning in her eighth-grade history class that such threats are a federal offense.

It was too late.

Federal authorities had found the page and placed Wilson on their checklist. They finally reached her this week in her molecular biology class.

The 14-year-old freshman was taken out of class Wednesday and questioned for about 15 minutes by two Secret Service agents. The incident has upset her parents, who said the agents should have included them when they questioned their daughter.

On Friday, the teenager said the agents' questioning led her to tears.

"I wasn't dangerous. I mean, look at what's (stenciled) on my backpack — it's a heart. I'm a very peace-loving person," said Wilson, an honor student who describes herself as politically passionate. "I'm against the war in Iraq. I'm not going to kill the president."

Her mother, Kirstie Wilson, said two agents showed up at the family's home Wednesday afternoon, questioned her and promised to return once her daughter was home from school.

After they left, Kirstie Wilson sent a text message to her daughter's cellphone, telling her to come straight home: "There are two men from the secret service that want to talk with you. Apparently you made some death threats against president bush."

"Are you serious!?!? omg. Am I in a lot of trouble?" her daughter responded.

Moments later, Kirstie Wilson received another text message from her daughter saying agents had pulled her out of class.

Julia Wilson said the agents threatened her by saying she could be sent to juvenile hall for making the threat.

"They yelled at me a lot," she said. "They were unnecessarily mean."

Spokesmen for the Secret Service in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., said they could not comment on the case.

Wilson and her parents said the agents were justified in questioning her over her MySpace.com posting. But they said they believe agents went too far by not waiting until she was out of school.

They also said the agents should have more quickly figured out they weren't dealing with a real danger. Ultimately, the agents told the teen they would delete her investigation file.

Assistant Principal Paul Belluomini said the agents gave him the impression the girl's mother knew they were planning to question her daughter at school. There is no legal requirement that parents be notified.

"This has been an ongoing problem," said Ann Brick, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in San Francisco.

Former Govs. Pete Wilson and Gray Davis vetoed bills that would have required that parents give consent or be present when their children are questioned at school by law enforcement officers. A similar bill this year cleared the state Senate but died in the Assembly.

Julia Wilson plans to post a new MySpace.com page, this one devoted to organizing other students to protest the Iraq war.

"I decided today I think I will because it (the questioning) went too far," she said.

Source:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-14-bush-threat_x.htm

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/38768.html

"I don't care about my word, I quit!"

ABC Nightline reported this week that 18,000 soldiers have deserted their military commitment.

Is this about the war?

Or is this about 18,000 sets of personal morals?

Remember, this is an all-volunteer military unlike the Vietnam draft.

Are we producing a generation of quitters?

Is this the first time in 200+ years we have had what some beleive an "unjust war"?

Do the complainers of losing 3000+ lives in the last five years know their history of previous shorter wars that cost 15 million lives?

I don't wish for this topic to be about politics (we have another forum for that). What this topic is about is 18,000 soldiers who chose to quit after they signed their commitment.

ABC Nightline revealed most of the quitters did so because of personal or famility financial problems at home and not because of the war.

Other reasons cited were "I didn't like the military discipline. I wanted to travel the world and not go to Iraq".

Will this generation be the whiners and "instant fastfood pleasure nuts"? And who are their parents and their grandparents?

Is there no longer honor?

Here's more:

Desertion:

• In time of war -- Death
  
• With intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service -- Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 5 years.
  
• Terminated by apprehension -- Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 3 years.
  
• Terminated otherwise -- Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 2 years.
  

Received in my email today:

[I]"Thank you for contacting our office recently regarding your concerns with the release of personal information of those who have filed to carry a concealed weapon or firearm.

"Senate Bill 1162 was filed by Senator Haridopolos this past week which provides an exemption from public records requirements for information contained in records maintained by the Division of Licensing within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services concerning persons seeking a license to carry a concealed firearm or weapon. You may find a copy of this bill and inquire on the status as it continues through the committee process at www.flsenate.gov

Bonnie L. Rhodes
Legislative Assistant to Mike Haridopolos
Senate 26
Telephone: 321-752-3131 or sc 350-3131
Fax: 321-752-3133"[/I]

I just got through cleaning out my email of over 5000 spam and junk emails, which took me a few hours. Yes, I can sort them by subject, and use a preview to help speed along the process, but this is getting out of hand.

When our office sends out an email, we sometimes get a return email asking us to verify that we actually sent it. The verification can be a simply second reply, or a typed image number, or something else.

Our own Contact Us link has helped, but many people are adding an additional Image Verification step.

In the end, email as we know it - type and send to a friend or customer, is going to come to an end (as I see it). It has become too much of a payroll cost and a time waster.

Maybe the future will require us to spend more time sending a qualified message that it will be cheaper to send a mailed letter.

And as long as people do not know how to add emails to their Address Book, that won't work either. Many of our member emails are placing our important messages in their junk folder and they're not getting what they want.

Don't be surprised to see us go to a new and slower method of communicating in the future. I think the free lunch is over.

All my best,

Robert

[IMG]http://www.theodoresworld.net/pics/0407/hillarytheevilone.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://albanysinsanity.wnymedia.net/blogs/files/2007/08/scary-hillary-clinton.thumbnail.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://floortwo.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/hillary-clinton-jacket.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://democratequalssocialist.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/hillary66.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://usversusthem.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/hillary-clinton1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://blogs.redding.com/mbeauchamp/archives/Hillary.bmp>

Federal Agents Seize 1,000 Fake Badges

NEW YORK (AP) - A man has been charged with possessing an illegal cache of about 1,000 counterfeit law enforcement badges, authorities said Tuesday.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Sergio Khorosh on Monday at his Bronx home after he accepted delivery of about 100 fake U.S. Marshals Service shields. The delivery was being monitored by the agents, who had first intercepted the badges last month in a shipment from Taiwan to San Francisco.

During a search of Khorosh's home, agents discovered about 1,000 more badges, some resembling those of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and New York Police Department, court papers said. Also found were six firearms, including semiautomatic pistols.

Authorities were investigating whether Khorosh was supplying police impersonators.
``We think this goes way beyond collectors,'' said Martin D. Ficke, special agent in charge for ICE's New York office.

Khorosh faces charges of illegal transport of counterfeit badges and weapons possession. He was ordered held on $50,000 bail.

A call to Khorosh's attorney was not immediately returned.

05/10/05 14:12

© Copyright The Associated Press.

Ok, how do we test LEGITIMACY of a BADGE besides a chemical analysis at FBI headquarters??

"Patriotism ~ Not Quite Dead in the Public Schools"

I found this incredibly moving and wanted to share it here. :)

If you missed hearing the US Army Band and Chorus welcome Pope Benedict XVI at the White House Rose Garden ceremony on the 15th of April 2008, then please give a listen to these children.

One of the fathers recorded it, added some graphic enhancements to the recording, and posted it on the web. The song, of course, is the "Battle Hymn Of The Republic." If you are a patriot, as I am, it may send a few shivers up your spine.

You may want to press the "F11" key OR your maximize icon after the performance starts, to get a full-screen effect.

Please click here > Battle Hymn of the Republic

Once again, the media is somewhat misleading people.

Here is a quote:

LDS Church critical of media reports on FLDS
Some news outlets fail to distinguish 2 faiths.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is criticizing international news media outlets for failing to distinguish between the mainstream LDS Church and the Fundamentalist LDS Church.

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued polygamy officially in 1890. More than a century later, some news reports, especially those outside the U.S., still fail to draw clear distinctions whenever stories arise about polygamy in the Intermountain West," the LDS Church said in a statement posted on its Web site.

The LDS Church praised many news media outlets across the country for noting the difference between the two churches. However, church officials were critical of foreign media reports that ran photographs of the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City next to stories of the polygamous compound raid in Texas and headlines that use the term "Mormon" without a distinction.

"You would think that after over 100 years, media organizations would understand the difference," Elder M. Russell Ballard said in the LDS Church's statement on Friday. "You can't blame the public for being confused when some of those reporting on these stories keep getting them wrong."

And if that's not enough, the media is reporting that beds were found in the temple. For the mainstream LDS Church, the beds in the Salt Lake Temple are only in the Men's Dressing Room and the Women's Dressing Room in case someone needs to lie down for a while. Many of the volunteer temple workers can use the bed (usually one per dressing room) to take a short nap before going back their volunteer duties.

(At work, one of our offices has a portable bed to take a 20 minute nap during our lunch)

Regardless of the truth, here is how one media newspaper is reporting what another news outlet is saying:

Search: Were beds in temple used for teen sex?
SAN ANGELO, Texas — A Texas Ranger serving a search warrant at a polygamist ranch says there are beds inside the FLDS Church's only temple.

And those beds, according to newly released documents that support the reasons for a police raid on the compound owned by the sect, are in a part of the temple where "males over the age of 17 engage in sexual activity" with underage girls.

New portions of a second search warrant, which was issued Sunday, were unsealed Wednesday and provided the first glimpse of some of what law enforcement officers have encountered since raiding the church's 1,700-acre ranch.

Inside the large limestone temple, ranger Leslie Brooks Long said she observed several locked safes, locked desk drawers, locked vaults, multiple computers and beds.

"On one of the beds within the temple, (I) observed that the bed linens were disturbed as if the bed had been used," she wrote. The officer said she also noticed a strand of hair believed to come from the head of a female, the court document states.

An unidentified former FLDS Church member, who has been advising Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran over the past several years, told the sheriff about the beds.

The warrant specifically identifies several girls and women who were interviewed at the ranch by child welfare workers during the first two days of the search. The examples either identified underage girls who were pregnant or "spiritually married" to older men, or young adult women who had children when they were underage.
Anyone under 17 is prohibited from marrying in Texas without parental approval.

During an interview Friday with a child who appeared to be 16, the girl was asked how old she was. The girl's husband, who is approximately 33 and was nearby during the interview, looked at his wife and said, "You are 18," the affidavit states. The girl, who has a 10-month-old baby, then replied that she was 18.

Long said she discovered a document indicating one man had more than 20 wives — "all of whom resided in the same residence."

It was this information, together with other details, that prompted a judge to issue a second search warrant authorizing authorities to search for any and all records regarding the births of children to mothers under 17, parental information; photographs, especially family portraits; family Bibles or books showing marriages and birth information; fingerprints and hair and blood samples of men and women; plus any device capable of storing images.

The first warrant only authorized authorities to locate evidence to help them identify a 16-year-old girl, whose calls to a family shelter claiming physical and sexual abuse prompted the raid and other court orders that eventually led to all 416 children taken from the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado.

Additional details of her phone calls to a crisis hotline for domestic violence were also released Wednesday from the first search warrant.

During the first call on March 29, which lasted 42 minutes, the girl said she lived on the ranch, was pregnant and had an 8-month-old child. She said her husband "hits her and hurts her" and said she would try to get help to get off the ranch, according to the court affidavit.

During several calls to the hotline the next day, the girl described physical and sexual abuse from her husband and said she wasn't allowed to leave the ranch because a guard was posted at a guard tower near the gate. She expressed fear that if she was caught trying to leave, "she would be locked in her room and not allowed to eat as punishment for her disobedience," Long wrote in the court documents.

The girl also said she feared the "outside world" away from the ranch, saying "she had been told that outsiders would hurt her."

While officers continued gathering evidence as ordered in the second search warrant, a third search warrant was issued Wednesday — this time from a federal judge. No details were available, but late Tuesday a Department of Public Safety spokeswoman said only that "the FBI is not out there now."

The 416 children, and 139 mothers who have "voluntarily" joined them, are expected to remain at the two shelters in San Angelo at least until an April 17 hearing.

That means it's not likely the state will try to place the children into foster homes until after that hearing, Marleigh Meisner told the Deseret Morning News.

"This is all decided on a day-to-day basis, but the children will remain for now in a shelter-type setting," the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokeswoman said.

Parents will be notified of the hearing and they will be allowed to attend with or without an attorney. Each child will be appointed an attorney ad litem and a guardian ad litem, she said. Child Protective Services will then make a recommendation about what should happen to each child and a judge will decide whether the child remains in state custody or is returned to family members.

"Then there are further court appearances over the next few months with a judge making a decision at each interval," Meisner said.

In the meantime, she said 700 staff members are trying to make them "as comfortable as possible. We understand this is not easy for them."

Questions:

• Where is the proof of this? (There is hair on my sofa. Do I use my sofa for teenage sex??)

  
  

• What does the DNA of the hair show (age of person or whether or not someone was just taking a nap?)

  
  

• Why did the law enforcement officers call another church to come in and transport the kids out?

  
  

• Why would the government involve another church (with a different religion) to be a part of a raid?

  
  

• Were the officers a member of that other church who brought their church busses?

  
  

• Why was the same girl reported to make the same phone call to the police in two different states (Texas and Arizona)?

  
  

• Why can't the police trace the phone call and locate the girl (who is now a ghost)?

  
  

• Was the female actually a member of another church?
  

This story may not be so much about a church and more American Civil Rights and what the government can do.

Read this:

Nancy was at the ranch when Texas rangers and other authorities began taking away the children. She said they knocked on the door of her home, walked in, separated the children, began interviewing "and didn't give us an explanation of what they were doing," she said.

She and other mothers declined to answer the officers' questions about which child belonged to who. "They told us we're going to take the children unless you tell us who are their mothers. But we still weren't saying anything," she recalled. Then she heard them call for backup.

Nancy, who was holding a baby in her arms, said one officer "poked their face into our face" and loudly said, "Give me that baby!"

"I said, 'I'm not going to do that,'" she said.

Although child welfare workers allowed most of the mothers to accompany their children to the temporary shelters, Nancy said she was not allowed to go. She stood helpless in the doorway and watched as her children, grandchildren and family members were loaded onto buses.

"The children would cry and hang onto their mothers," she said, trembling and wiping away tears.

"I get my strength from my Heavenly Father, but I can't believe something like this could even happen in America.... How could they take families and tear the children away? They're mentally abusing those children."

'Nowhere to go'

Monica, a mother of five children between the ages of 11 and 3, said she wants the world to know her children were happy and safe at home.

"We love our children. We love family life. Our children are our life. We do all we can to make sure they are cared for and have an education," she said. "They have manners and are trained well in loving and blessing others."

She was out of state for an appointment when she heard that her home was being raided. She quickly returned to the ranch but wasn't allowed inside. "I had nowhere to go," said Monica, 34.

Her sister is taking care of her 3-year-old at a makeshift shelter in San Angelo, about 50 miles away. A cousin is looking after the others. She tried to join the 139 mothers that were allowed to accompany their children, but the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services won't allow her inside.

"I have driven past the area where they are, and it's completely surrounded by police," she said. "I'm sure I could walk up to the door and get arrested ... and then what's going to happen to my children?"

When she was finally allowed to return to her home on the ranch, because of an ongoing search of the property by authorities, she said nothing was the same.

"Can you imagine what it's like to come back to nothing? Empty, ransacked homes, many things were taken, no pictures left."

She was able to find some pictures of when her children were younger, but all others were confiscated.

"I want the world to know that there is a nothing stronger than love and there is an inborn, God-given love between a mother and her children, and all a mother wants for her children is the very best" Monica said.

Despite her sorrow and frustration, she says she has faith that she will see her children again.

"I know I can't give up. I have to stay at it," she said. "I know with Heavenly Father's help I will be able to get them back."

'I couldn't believe it'

Shannon, a mother who was also off the ranch when officers served the search warrants, said she's also tried several times to see her three children but has been refused.

"Every day I've called them. They put me off saying they don't have the authority to let me in and there's no proof the children are mine. I tell them the children know who their mother is, and I know who my children are," she said.

The 30-year-old says she provided child welfare officials with identification and even birth certificates proving she is her children's mother. She says she and other mothers were told those documents could have been fake.

"I couldn't believe it. I wondered if we were in America or Russia," Shannon said. "I kept thinking, 'How can they do that?' They're breaking every rule. They're breaking every law."

Shannon has been told that her youngest child, who is just 2 years old, clings to her caretaker in the shelter. "She's sick right now and needs her mother."

Texas officials say they removed the children because they believe they're being abused or neglected. The raid was authorized by a judge after workers at a family domestic hotline reported receiving calls from a pregnant 16-year-old girl claiming she was being abused and was afraid to leave the ranch.

Shannon insists the children were not in any harmful environment at the ranch and were well-loved and cared for.

"We are not child abusers. We take very good care of them. These are innocent and sweet children," she said.

"The only abuse my children have ever had is since they've been taken away."

To All:

Here is another one. I trust that all of you are passing this information along.

To: Web Police News Service Subscribers
From: Director - International Web Police
Subject: Bulletin
Priority: Normal
Date: July 30, 2004
__________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY FROM THE FINANCIAL RUIN OF NIGERIAN 419 COUNTERFEIT CHECK FRAUDS

The Nigerian Counterfeit Check Fraud:
Bankrupting thousands through online and offline Classifieds

Between February and June of 2003, more than $25 Million Dollars disappeared into Nigeria, Kuwait, and China as a result of the latest Nigerian fraud - counterfeit checks. You can figure that by now that amount has more than tripled.

Here's how it starts

You want to sell your old car, or Aunt Tillie's bureau, or those terrific dogs you breed? Just run an ad in any one of the online classifieds and you can reach an audience of thousands.
One of those thousands is a swindler who has been patiently watching his screen all morning, just waiting for you - and several hundred other people - to post an ad.
He or she will contact you by email or phone and offer to buy what you're selling, usually no questions asked, sight unseen. What a deal! Your item will be picked up on behalf of the so-called buyer by someone local. As for the payment, you'll be sent a check that's way over the amount you're asking. Please just go ahead and deposit the check and send the buyer the difference.
Where do these checks come from?
In the beginning, most of the checks arrived by mail with a return address of "Maryland, LAGOS." That is to say, they came from Nigeria but a quick glance would lead you to believe it arrived from the State of Maryland in the U.S.
These days the checks arrive from all over - Toronto, New York, Amsterdam, London, California (any one of the United States, actually), Malaysia, pick a country, any country. Pick a city, any city.
The check forging rings are so widespread that members can be found just about anywhere. They stay in place on long enough to ensure the forged checks arrive at their destination. Most communication from the phony buyer is received via email, cell phone, and satellite phone.
Who says you can't cheat an honest man?
Most Nigerian scams rely on a certain amount of greed on the part of the target and a willingness to overlook the legal aspects of the proposal, such as ferreting illegally acquired funds out of Nigeria or other countries.
The Counterfeit Check ****, on the other hand, is based on the total honesty of the swindler's target which is you, the seller.
Following the buyer's request, you deposit the check into your account. If you have received a Cashier's Check or have an excellent credit record with your bank, the check will be credited to your account without delay. If the funds were wired directly to your account from another bank, then there is no question that the money is readily available.
You then immediately arrange for the excess funds to be wired to the bank account number the buyer has supplied to you for that purpose, or to forward the funds through Western Union. Your bank sends the funds out either that day or the following morning, or you run down to the nearest Western Union office to wire the funds to London or Italy or wherever.
Shortly thereafter you receive a call from the bank and the roof falls in on you.
Fact is, NO legitimate business transaction asks you to wire excess funds anywhere. It's simply not done for the basic reason that no legitimate business person is about to trust an absolute stranger with their money.
Who ends up paying the price?
In most instances, you are going to have to pay for the loss. That means you will have to make up for the amount that you wired - plus any of the money you spent. In rare instances, the bank will absorb the loss, but don't count on it.
The reason for this is that when you endorse a check, you are vouching for the validity of that check.
But what about Cashier's Checks? Or funds wired directly into your account? In those instances the liability is determined on a case by case basis. Some banks are on the alert for the ****, others are not. Nonetheless, the final responsibility lies with the depositor.
You see, the only responsibility a financial institution has toward its customers is to keep each person's funds accounted for and safe from harm. Those are the basics. Beyond that, there are Federal regulations, state regulations, and internal regulations. Laws are different for Credit Unions, Commercial Banks, and brokerage houses. Each is accountable to a different oversight organization.
How to REALLY verify that check
Traditionally, we have been taught that the best way to verify the validity of any check is to call the account holder's bank. That is no longer a reliable source of information. Those days are gone forever.
The fact is that the only response the account holder's bank can give you is based on an electronic verification. This only confirms that the account exists and that there are sufficient funds in that account at the moment of your call.
In this day and age, one must contact the account holder himself. Only the account holder can provide definitive information as whether or not a check has been issued in your name for the requested product.
Verifying a Money Order
It sometimes happens that these swindlers use Money Orders. I haven't heard of too many cases, but it does occur. If you receive a Money Order, contact the Money Order company and make sure that you explain that you want to verify that the amount and Payee match their records.
Verifying a Cashier's Check
But what about a Cashier's Check? Well here's what you do.
Ordinarily one calls the issuing bank. If this bank is huge, like Bank of America or Wells Fargo, one is put through a series of options on a voice menu. Again, if you go through the merchant verification routine, only the electronic validity of the check is confirmed.
Skip that. Go directly to an assistant or whatever the real live person is called on the voice menu. Ask for the telephone number of the branch on which the Cashier's Check is drawn. If you are asked why you need to speak to the branch, tell them that you need to get a physical verification of the Cashier's Check you are holding.
Call the branch. Now you will be able to receive a physical verification of the check you have in hand because a physical record is kept right there at the branch. That branch can immediately tell you whether that specific check was written for the amount indicated, and whether or not it was made out to you.
Accepting Wired Funds
Just say NO. Sometimes the swindlers will wire funds directly to your account. Under no circumstances whatsoever should you accept funds wired to you by a stranger. Why? Because you have no way of verifying the source of those funds. If you accept those funds, you may find out after it's too late that the source is a forged Cashier's Check.
What smart people are doing ...
It is important to keep in mind that if you do not know the person with whom you are doing business, then be wary until you have a proven track record of dependability.
Every day merchants are taken to the cleaners by bad checks and stolen credit cards. It's no different if you are an individual selling your car in the classifieds.
The smart thing to do is have the check verified before even depositing it into your account. Contact the owner of the check, or give the check to your bank telling them you want it physically verified for authenticity.
... and smarter still
Do you know what an escrow account is? If you don't, here is an explanation of escrow services: An escrow service offers you the protection you need from being taken to the cleaners by swindlers, disagreements on receipt of product, misunderstandings, and all sorts of flies that can turn up in the ointment.
Essentially, you are hiring a licensed and bonded 3rd party to hold the funds until all parties are satisfied with the transaction, at which point the buyer can order the release of his money to the seller. On the other hand, if the item is to be returned to the seller, the buyer can't access his funds until the seller agrees that he has received the item back in the same condition as it was upon shipment.
Escrow services can be used for large ticket items, or small ones. It's better to pay for this service (you can include the fees in your product cost) than to find out that you are in a world of hurt because you didn't protect yourself when dealing with a stranger.
Know Your Customer (KYC)
This has become a byword for banks all over the world. It helps keep banks from unknowingly being used for money laundering and other criminal activities.
Knowing your customer means that you are not merely taking the word of someone about whom you know nothing. Regardless of the financial transaction, you should never accept as gospel what you are being told. You MUST protect yourself and your family.
The Bank's Role
In order to understand the bank's role in all of this, you must first understand what a bank really is.
In it's very simplest form, a bank is an accountant with a calculator, a ledger, a safe, and a license to take money in for safekeeping. Everybody's money is kept in the safe, and separated by owner in the ledger, not the safe. A simple system of debits and credits. That's it folks. Everything beyond that consists of add-on services to garner more deposits from customers so that the accountant can pay for the overhead.
The way in which the accountant pays for the overhead is by charging a small fee for maintaining each account (i.e. accounting for the funds in his care), and by judiciously lending out a portion of the gross deposits. By charging interest on the loans, some of which is shared with the depositors, he can now pay for his office and his salary.
A bank is a building that houses the accounts of its depositors
None of the money in that building belongs to the bank itself, other than what it earns in fees for service and its portion of interest on loans and investments.
The processes of modern banking are complex, particularly since the advent of electronic banking, the current tremendous growth of international trade and trade banking, and the seemingly endless rules and regulations, but the basics remain the same.
So along comes Joe with a forged check from a Nigerian con artist. Granted, Joe doesn't know the check is forged, but that's not the real problem. The problem is where the money comes from that will go into Joe's account for him to spend. You see, in the case of a forged check, it comes from Joe's neighbors. It comes out of that "safe" we talked about in the first paragraph.
JoesBank
And this is how it works. We'll call the place where Joe keeps his checking account "JoesBank."
JoesBank electronically verifies the check that Joe brought in. In other words, a teller or bank officer looks up the check owner's account on a computer. Sure enough, there's money in the account on which the check is drawn. Joe's account is credited with the amount of the check.
There are two processing possibilities for crediting Joe's account:
1. If the check is a Cashier's Check or if Joe is a customer in good standing, Joe's account may be immediately credited with funds. "Immediately" means that a portion of the money in the JoesBank "safe" is credited to Joe's account pending receipt of the funds from the bank that issued the Cashier's Check. Normally, the Cashier's Check bank debits funds from its "safe" and sends them to JoesBank. JoesBank puts the funds from the Cashier's Check bank back in its "safe." I'm simplifying here, but only by very little. No point in getting into each detail of how money moves through the Federal Reserve, going back and forth between banks. In any event, in this case the Cashier's Check is denied, so there is no money to put back in the JoesBank "safe" to replace the money credited to Joe's account.
2. If the check is a regular corporate check, it's sent through the system. This means that a Hold is placed on the check until it clears. "Clears" is an electronic term. It means that the amount of the check is electronically conveyed to the account holder's bank as a debit, followed by the physical check which travels in what are called "batches" to a check clearing house. Again, I'm simplifying but it's not much more complicated than that. Basically, Brinks picks up a bag (batch) of checks from JoesBank at the end of the banking day, drives them to the local check clearing house, and from there the checks are sent off to the various banks they came from.
Back to clearing the check. A check travels through the system electronically and physically. The check owner's bank acknowledges receipt of the debit, debits the check owner's account, and forwards the funds back through the system to be credited to JoesBank, then to Joe's account. Depending on the "route" (how many credit and debit processes the check owner's bank is from JoesBank), the entire process can take from just a few days to a couple of weeks.
Now comes the sticky part
Remember the physical check that Brinks picked up and transported to the clearing house? It is finally verified by actual eyes and declared invalid. If it's a Cashier's Check or Money Order, that happens fairly quickly. If it's a corporate or personal check, eyes-on can take weeks depending on when statements are sent out and when the account holder actually eyeballs the check. Or verifies his account balance.
Once the check has been declared invalid (this includes Cashier's Checks, Money Orders, Traveler's Checks, what have you), the check owner's bank sends a debit through the system, debiting JoesBank for the amount in full, plus handling fees. JoesBank has no choice but to allow the debit to be taken from its "safe."
That specifically means a portion of the sum total of the money that Joe's neighbors have left with JoesBank for safekeeping, minus that which is out on loan and invested. That's how the ledger is kept. Depositor money in, depositor money out. Because of the bank's license, it is the bank's fiduciary responsibility to retrieve those funds by whatever manner possible.
Since it was Joe's contractual responsibility as an account holder to be responsible for the true value of what he deposits into his account, Joe is the one to whom the bank turns.
Bad checks
Bad checks are a daily cost of doing business for any company. Happens all the time. Sometimes the company can recoup on a bounced check, sometimes its charged off to Bad Debt and becomes a Loss on the company's books. The company is out the amount of the check, plus the bounced check charge, plus the value of the product or service the check was written for. This may be tough on a company, but the financial consequences are far worse for the individual like Joe. In fact, the consequences can be overwhelming.
Many banks in the U.S. have yet to adjust their system or their way of thinking to the onslaught of the Nigerian Counterfeit Check Fraud. Yes, they could work out a loan with the victim for the entire amount of the loss plus expenses; but in many cases the victims are selling items because they are strapped for money to begin with. Some victims simply cannot afford to pay back a loan, leaving the banks to press on using whatever recourse is available to them.
WESTERN UNION - WIRING MONEY INTO THE VOID
Wiring funds through the banking system
When you wire funds from your checking account to your cousin's checking account in Oshkosh, a paper trail is established. If your cousin calls you on Tuesday to find out where the money is that you wired last Thursday, your bank can track the path of the money through the banking system to see what went wrong. A record of transfer is generated each and every time the amount moves from one bank's ledger to the next.
Wiring funds through Western Union
That's not the case at all when you use Western Union. The only record kept by Western Union is of your funds being transferred from one of their accounts to another. For instance, if you are in Los Angeles and you wire funds to somebody in London, all that Western Union can tell you is that the funds were picked up in London, and at which office.
Western Union takes your money and gives you a receipt. Your funds are then placed in the Los Angeles central Western Union account along with all the other monies they have received during the day from all over Los Angeles. Each transfer request is logged electronically such that your specific amount is then sent off to the central Western Union account in London.
Once the funds are in a central account, the actual money can be picked up at any office covered by that account. Just because you were told to wire money to such-and-such a fellow at such-and-such a Western Union office does not mean he'll actually pick it up there. He can pick it up at an office clear across the city.
Western Union can verify that the fellow who picked up the money carried the specified identification. They might even be able to tell you what he looked like. This doesn't really do you much good. His identification can be phony as the day is long. All you know when you wired the funds is what you were told. Once your guy walks out of that office, there is absolutely nothing to bring him back, unlike your cousin in Oshkosh who has an open bank account. There is no way to trace him. He's gone. And in the case of a ****, so is your money.
Federal Counterfeit Check Law
The laws that affect you as the holder of a Nigerian Counterfeit Check
US Criminal Code, Title 18, Section 113
Sec. 472. - Uttering counterfeit obligations or securities
Whoever, with intent to defraud, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or with like intent brings into the United States or keeps in possession or conceals any falsely made, forged, counterfeited, or altered obligation or other security of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
Sec. 473. - Dealing in counterfeit obligations or securities
Whoever buys, sells, exchanges, transfers, receives, or delivers any false, forged, counterfeited, or altered obligation or other security of the United States, with the intent that the same be passed, published, or used as true and genuine, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
Sec. 479. - Uttering counterfeit foreign obligations or securities
Whoever, within the United States, knowingly and with intent to defraud, utters, passes, or puts off, in payment or negotiation, any false, forged, or counterfeited bond, certificate, obligation, security, treasury note, bill, or promise to pay, mentioned in section 478 of this title, whether or not the same was made, altered, forged, or counterfeited within the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both
Sec. 480. - Possessing counterfeit foreign obligations or securities
Whoever, within the United States, knowingly and with intent to defraud, possesses or delivers any false, forged, or counterfeit bond, certificate, obligation, security, treasury note, bill, promise to pay, bank note, or bill issued by a bank or corporation of any foreign country, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

What to do if you receive a Nigerian 419 fraud
US Nigerian Complaints
United States Citizens and Residents
If you are a United States Citizen or Resident and have suffered No Financial Loss write "No inancial Loss - For Your Database" on the documents you received and Fax them to the US Secret Service Task Force handling **** matters at (202) 406-6930 or (202) 406-5031. Actual hardcopy of the 419er document(s) is required to add your 419ers information to the Task Force Database for legal reasons, merely telling Task Force about it will NOT suffice.
You may also email the 419er documents, especially any Banking Data they may have given you, marked No Loss, to Task Force Main in DC at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov; that is also acceptable.
Since Task Force is Very Busy dealing with cases in which there have been financial losses, it is NOT customary for them to contact you in cases where there has been No Loss.
If you are a United States Citizen or Resident and YOU HAVE SUFFERED A FINANCIAL LOSS write "Financial Loss - Contact Me ASAP" on the documents you have received and Fax them to the Task Force at (202) 406-6930 or (202) 406-5031 and give your telephone number(s). A Secret Service Agent will call you back as soon as possible to discuss the matter with you. You may also email the 419er materials, especially any Banking Data they have given you, to Task Force Main in DC at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov marked Financial Loss - Contact Me ASAP and give your phone number.
Please Note: If you don't get contacted by a Special Agent soon enough to suit you, call the Task Force Voice at (202) 406-5850 and tell the Operator (or voicemail) that it's Urgent, you want to talk to an Agent as soon as possible, and give your name and telephone number(s).
Thank you for allowing us to serve you.
Peter Hampton
Director - International Web Police
Director@Web-Police.org
http://www.Web-Police.org

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[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I came across this news story today that I think you might find interesting to look at,
located here > Airport Journals - Recycled 727's.

Some of the pictures are almost unbelievable![/FONT]

and this one > [IMG]http://www.airportjournals.com/Photos/0305/P/0305005_3.jpg>
[SIZE="1"]photo by JoAnn Ussery[/SIZE]

The costs for these is rather minimal, at least in the cases and "homes" shown in the article.

:)

:mad:N.Y. governor apologizes after prostitution link
Spitzer doesn’t directly cite allegation first reported by New York Times
Sad Day for New York.

I was listening the other day to the radio and this topic came on. I was very interested in it and I thought I would do some more research on it. This is what I came up with. Let me know what you think.

THE Government has embarked on its most reckless policy to date in pursuing the idea of national identity cards. The initiative will fundamentally change the nature of government and the character of the nation.
This is inevitable because the modern ID card is no simple piece of plastic. It is the visible component of a web of interactive technology that fuses the most intimate characteristics of the individual with the machinery of state.
It is the means by which the powers of government will be streamlined and amplified. Almost every national ID card system introduced in the past 15 years has contained three components with the potential to devastate personal freedom and privacy.
First, each citizen is obliged to surrender a finger or retina print to a national database. This information is combined with other personal data such as race, age and residential status. A photograph completes the dossier.
In addition, its introduction must be accompanied by a substantial increase in police power. After all, authorities will want to be able to demand the card in a wide range of circumstances, and people must be compelled to comply.
The most significant, yet most subtle, element is that the card and its numbering system will permit the linking of information between all government departments. The number is ultimately the most powerful element of the system.
Such a system, linked through tens of thousand of card readers to a central database, is the conventional means of dealing with the problem of counterfeit cards.
But the technology gap between governments and organised crime has narrowed so much that even the most highly secure cards are available as blanks, weeks after their official introduction. Criminals and terrorists can move more freely and more safely with several fake identities than they ever could in a country with multiple forms of ID.
To make sure people are who they claim to be, the new generation of cards, such as those introduced this year in Malaysia, incorporate a chip containing the "biometric" - a fingerprint, retina or hand scan of the holder. The card and the finger are placed into a reader, and the person is "validated".
Authorities can gain further personal information stored on the chip to confirm the holder's identity. This validation process can be done anywhere - on the streets, in airports, schools, banks, swimming pools or office buildings.
You will not hear any government emphasising these aspects. Instead, the new ID systems are benignly promoted as "citizen cards" that guarantee entitlement to benefits and services.
Five years ago, the Government quietly buried proposals for ID cards when it discovered that they would cost billions of pounds more than expected, would do little to prevent crime, and might become wildly unpopular.
How much more unpopular will they be when people learn that a scan of their body parts will be required?
If an ID card was unworkable five years ago, why would it work now? The short answer is that it would not - unless the biometric were added and the whole system verified through a national database. That is not a card: it is a national surveillance infrastructure.
If such a scheme is introduced in the current climate, three outcomes are inevitable. First, a high-security card will become an internal passport, demanded in limitless situations. (Don't leave home without it.)
Second, millions of people will be severely inconvenienced each year through lost, stolen or damaged cards, or through failure of computer systems or the biometric reading machinery.
Finally, the cards will inevitably be abused by officials who will use them as a mechanism for prejudice, discrimination or harassment.
No one has been able to identify any country where cards have deterred terrorists. To achieve this, a government would require measures unthinkable in a free society.
The Government thus faces a choice. Either it introduces a high-security biometric card that will challenge every tenet of freedom, or it introduces a low-security card that will soon be available to criminals and terrorists on the black market.
This article can be found at:
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/09/29/wfor229.xml

And a brief history:

National ID cards have long been advocated as a means to enhance national security, unmask potential terrorists, and guard against illegal immigrants. They are in use in many countries around the world including most European countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Americans have consistently rejected the idea of a national ID card. In 1971 the Social Security Administration task force on the SSN rejected the extension of the Social Security Number to the status of an ID card. In 1973, the Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Secretary's Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data Systems concluded that a national identifier was not desirable. In 1976, the Federal Advisory Committee on False Identification rejected the idea of an identifier. In 1977, the Carter Administration reiterated that the SSN was not to become an identifier, and in 1981 the Reagan Administration stated that it was "explicitly opposed" to the creation of a national ID card. Throughout the debates over health care reform, the Clinton Administration also constantly stressed that it was opposed to a national identifier. In 1999 Congress repealed a controversial provision in the llegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 which gave authorization to include Social Security Numbers on drivers' licenses.
In response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, there has been renewed interest in the creation of national ID cards. Larry Ellison, head of Oracle Corporation, the California based software company, has called for the development of a national identification system and offered to donate the technology to make this possible. He proposed ID cards with embedded digitized thumbprints and photographs of all legal residents in the U.S. UK Home Secretary David Blunkett is also considering proposals for a national ID card.
This article can be found here:
http://www.epic.org/privacy/id_cards/

President GW Bush has signed into law a bill creating a National Sex Offender Registry. The law is called "Adam's Law" after Adam Walsh, who was abducted 25 years ago on July 27, 1981, and then found murdered subsequently. Adam's father, John Walsh, became the host of "America's Most Wanted" to make a difference and reduce the number of criminals who are walking the streets.

More details are available here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205961,00.html