COMMENTS MUST BE *RECEIVED* BY FEB. 24. PLEASE SEND THEM OUT ASAP! SUMMARY: DOT has published its intent to establish a Big Brother system of records and is soliciting public comments. The DOT must consider the comments it receives before finalizing its actions. These comments were a big help last time around fighting National IDs in the guise of standardized state drivers licenses. Many fewer citizens have commented on DOT's proposed data collection, however, and time and liberties are running short. Information about the system is printed below, as is a short sample letter. Feel free to write something longer, but even a short statement of your opposition to the draconian record system and a signature would be helpful.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) intends to establish a system of records which will collect information from all air travelers. DOT intends to release the information upon request to any agency "for the hiring or retention of an individual, or issuance of a security clearance, license, contract, grant, or other benefit." DOT also intends to disclose the information it collects to any "Federal, State, territorial, tribal, local, international, or foreign" agency when DOT becomes aware of any indication of any criminal or civil infraction of any "statute, rule, regulation, order, or license" by any person traveling by air. This applies even to citizens of the United States when flying within their own country. This is an outrageous assault on the Privacy Act, as well as an affront to the privacy of law abiding U.S. citizens. If you are concerned about the collection and disclosure of information from air travelers and want the DOT to rescind its proposal, please provide your comments to Yvonne L. Coates at the address below. Comments must be RECEIVED by February 24, 2003, to be considered. A sample letter is also below. Yvonne L. Coates Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary 400 7th Street, SW Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366-6964 (telephone) (202) 366-7024 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Internet address) Reference: Federal Register, January 15, 2003, Volume 68, Number 10, Pages 2101-2103. ----------------- Begin Sample Letter ----------------------------- Dear Ms. Coates, I am writing to voice my objections to DOT's proposed information collection of airline passenger information published in the Federal Register, January 15, 2003, Pages 2101-2103. The proposed system is an affront to the personal liberties on which this nation was founded. Please rescind it. Signed, Your Name. ------------------ End Sample Letter ------------------------------
