Common Council Vote

Just returned from the Common Council meeting in Bridgeport, my neighboring town. The following resolution was acted on:

WHEREAS, four states and over 300 communities across the country -- including Anchorage, Alaska; Berkeley, California; Santa Cruz, California; Boulder, Colorado; Denver, Colorado; New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; Broward County, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Bloomington, Indiana; Amherst, Massachusetts; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Northhampton, Massachusetts; Baltimore, Maryland; Ann Arbor, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; St. Paul, Minnesota; Santa Fe, New Mexico; New York City, New York; Albany, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; Carrboro, North Carolina; Providence, Rhode Island; Madison, Wisconsin; Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. -- have passed resolutions opposing those parts of the USA PATRIOT Act and the associated orders and rules that threaten our civil liberties; and

WHEREAS, Some Federal policies adopted since September 11, 2001, including provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56) and related executive orders, regulations and actions raise concerns over the loss of fundamental rights and liberties; and

WHEREAS, New Legislation has been drafted by the Bush Administration entitled the Domestic Security Enhancement Act (DSEA) (also known as PATRIOT II) which contains a multitude of new and sweeping law enforcement and intelligence gathering powers, many of which are not related to terrorism, that would severely dilute, and could undermine, many basic constitutional rights, as well as disturb our unique system of checks and balances; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Bridgeport City Council:

1. Affirms its strong support for the fundamental constitutional rights and its opposition to Federal measures that infringe on civil liberties; and

2. Strongly supports the rights of immigrants, minorities, and Native Americans and opposes any measure that single out individuals for legal scrutiny or enforcement activity based on their Country of origin or ethnicity; and

3. Calls upon the law enforcement officials working within the City and outside its boundaries to continue to preserve residents’ freedom of speech, religion, assembly; privacy; rights to counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures; and

4. Directs Federal and state law enforcement officials acting within the City to work in accordance with the policies of the Bridgeport Police Department, and in cooperation with the Department, by not engaging in or permitting detentions without charges or racial profiling in law enforcement; and

5. Request that the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Connecticut State Police report to the Bridgeport City Council regularly and publicly the extent to and manner in which they have enacted new Executive Orders, or COINTELPRO-type regulations, including disclosing the names of any detainees held in Connecticut or any Bridgeport residents detained elsewhere; and

6. That the City instruct the Library not to divulge information concerning books and magazines read by Library patrons to any unauthorized agency, and

7. Affirms the privacy rights and intellectual freedoms of its residents and supports librarians, booksellers and other communications dealers in protecting those rights; and

8. Calls upon federal officials to make periodic reports, consistent with the Freedom of Information Act, that include:

(a) the number of Bridgeport residents who have been arrested or otherwise detained by federal authorities as a result of terrorism investigations since September 11, 2001;

(b) the number of search warrants that have been executed in the City of Bridgeport without notice to the subject of the warrant pursuant to section 213 of the USA PATRIOT Act;

(c) the number of electronic surveillance actions carried out in the City of Bridgeport under powers granted in the USA PATRIOT Act;

(d) the number of investigations undertaken by federal authorities to monitor political meetings, religious gatherings or other activities protected by the First Amendment within the City of Bridgeport;

(e) the number of times education records have been obtained from public schools and institutions of higher learning in the City of Bridgeport under section 507 of the USA PATRIOT Act;

(f) the number of times library records have been obtained from libraries in the City of Bridgeport under section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act; and

(g) the number of times that records of the books purchased by store patrons have been obtained from bookstores in the City of Bridgeport under section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act; and

9. Be it further resolved, that the Council of the City of Bridgeport calls upon our United States Representatives and Senators to take a lead in Congressional action to prohibit passage of the Domestic Security Enhancement Act, known as “PATRIOT II”; and

10. Directs the City Clerk to transmit a copy of this resolution to our United States Senate and Congressional representatives, Governor John G. Rowland, President George W. Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Sorry to say that this resolution did not pass. My hats off to those that backed this. The council persons voting this down sounded so full of fear. They clearly have bought into W's story.