Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wasatch!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!att!mcdchg!ddsw1!ddsw1!karl
From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: MAIL ORDER IN IL is DEAD.
Message-ID: <[24edeb3b:5056.9]comp.ibmpc;1@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Date: 20 Aug 89 00:00:05 GMT
References: <2495@cbnewsc.ATT.COM> <670016@hpvcfs1.HP.COM>
Lines: 38

>-----
>Response 8 of 8 (5056) by johne at hpvcfs1.HP.COM on Sat 19 Aug 89 15:18
>[John Eaton]
>
>Unless you always pay by a non traceable money order and have it shipped
>to a different name and address than you file your taxes under then you
>better put it down.
> 
>Checks and credit cards leave a paper trail that your state IRS can
>easily follow. All they need to do is go to any of the big mail order
>houses and obtain a list of customers from your state. If you received
>anything during a year that you declared nothing on you taxes then it's
>time for a closer look at your return.

Ok, again, how can a state (such as IL) compel a company to release that
information, when there is NO PROBABLE CAUSE that a crime (tax fraud) has
been committed?

Listen to what you are saying here.  "The state IRS goes to a mail order
house and obtains a list of customers from it's state".  Just HOW does the
state IRS do this?  Where do they get the authority to just "grab" that
information, in effect "sifting" for violators of the tax laws?

It smells a lot like the abuses of power that we have all "poo pooed" for so
long.  Here it comes, friends.  When the American people allowed the
Constitution to be trampled in the name of the War on Drugs, they allowed
this kind of thing to go on unchecked.  We will _all_ pay for this one
folks.

So much for the Constitutional protections (like needing probable cause to
obtain that kind of info (ie: get a warrant)).

Or is everyone now presumed guilty until proven innocent?

--
Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910]
Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.		"Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"