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Gov't Proposes Massive Homeless Tracking System
Chris Hoofnagle writes "The Dept. of Housing and Urban Development is proposing a massive system of tracking for homeless people and others who are served by shelters and care centers. The system will track people by their SSN, and will collect health (HIV, pregnancy) and mental information. Secret Service and national security agents can gain access to the database by just asking for it! EPIC has released a fact sheet on HMIS, and the public can comment on the guidelines until September 22, 2003, but no electronic comments are being accepted."
It's easy to talk about homeless people in online forums because they won't notice what we're writing! Not that I am in favor of tagging the homeless. I just find it humorous, like making fun of Amish people on TV.
I really hate signatures, but go to my website.
For homeless, increasing the level of their life is better.
For government, increasing accountability of "unvanted" elements is better.
PS: Only for homeless, right?
Who took my tinfoil hat?
And why are mentally ill people homeless?
Because some STUPID do-gooders decided some years back that unless mental patients posed immediate risks to themselves or others, they should not be forced to remain in mental hospitals.
How about the government proposes a massive homeless HOUSING project instead?
...but it's being eaten...by some...Linux or something...
If we're spending money to try and improve the situation of the homeless, making more free mental and medical help available will do a hell of a lot more than a tracking system.
There WAS. The civil liberties advocates did away in effect with the system of state run mental hospitals, at least here in the Northeast, about 25 years ago. So we released all the nutcases to live on sewer grates and in refrigerator boxes.
Real improvement that was. Now the government comes in with an idea to get rid of the dying people in the winter and get rid of the smell of piss on the subways and the same old tired voices are rising up to bitch.
HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.