From: mark@unicorn.com
Date: Mon Jun 29 1998 - 06:31:23 MDT
Fireeye978@aol.com wrote:
>guilty huh?..until he proves himself innocent?.. In that case, you and me and
>Michael and just about anyone else you ever heard of is a goner...
>I think the guy is a liar, and probably a criminal. I sure as hell hope nobody
>strings him up on an opinion!
>I think I'd be more afraid to live in your State than this one....
Yes, America has become a frightening place to live since the asset
forfeiture laws were passed. Or were you unaware that anyone can have their
assets seized at any time on suspicion of having committed a crime?
Here's a recent example:
Back in 1994 a Syrian immigrant wanted to fly to Syria carrying $350,000
in cash to repay the friends and relatives who'd invested in his profitable
gas station business. Because he was scared that it might be siezed by
corrupt Syrian customs officials he chose not to fill in the mandatory
reporting forms for exports of more than $10,000 in cash.
Sadly, he forgot about all those corrupt US customs officials; they found
the money, and seized it all on the grounds that they thought it might,
possibly, perhaps, maybe have been raised by criminal means.
Four years and many legal bills later later the Supreme Court have finally
decided that the money didn't come from a crime and returned about $330,000
to him (keeping the rest as a fine for not filing the report). But, oops!
The IRS just sent him a bill for $330,000 in back taxes. Not that they've
done an audit or found any evidence that he owes any, it's just an IRS
decision based on... uh, um, ah... a hunch, I guess. That it's within a
few thousand dollars of the amount the Supreme Court returned to him is
just 'one of them coincidences'. Of course.
Now do you see why so many of us find these claims that Clinton's rights
are being abused so laughable? He's getting kid glove treatment compared
to ordinary Americans.
And maybe some of the others on the list will realise why we're so opposed
to letting governments track us at will.
Mark
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