From Sacramento and Your Neighborhood

Greetings Neighbors!

It was only 225 years ago that an optimistic new country was born out of a group of immigrants’ quest for independence and freedom. We celebrate the birth of our country every July Fourth as the day that our forefathers and mothers claimed America’s independence from Great Britain. The United States has become synonymous with words like “freedom” and “liberty” possibly because those who immigrated here knew what it meant to be without them.

As we pay tribute to this year’s Independence Day with our family and friends, we celebrate our own freedom, and honor the men and women who have struggled to preserve our rights throughout our country’s history. Just as we reflect upon our history, we must also look to our future and remain ever vigilant in protecting some of our most basic, fundamental rights which have come under attack recently by both external and internal forces.

The steady stream of news stories uncovering the Bush administration’s egregious assaults on the freedoms, privacy rights and liberties of its citizens is an outrage. Citing the “War on Terror” as cause, the administration has used fear to elevate itself above the U.S. Constitution and trample on the rights of us all.

Recently, it was reported that this administration has secretly collected the phone records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by some of our largest telephone companies. The administration has censored and distorted scientific projects, articles and data for their own political purposes. In an effort to control and manipulate the information its citizens receive, the administration has waged an assault on a free and independent media. Among many tactics, it has been reported that the administration paid TV commentator Armstrong Williams $240,000 in taxpayer money to praise Bush’s education policies. They have also manipulated the media’s message by manufacturing “fake news,” otherwise known as “Video News Releases” broadcast to millions of Americans who believe it is actual reporting.

While our own constitutional rights are of immediate concern to us, it’s also important to consider how the Bush administration has violated international law with respect to the Geneva Conventions. Citizens of the world were shocked at the photos and the numerous accounts of abuse and torture of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. Additionally, the Administration has a policy to detain individuals at Guantanamo Bay suspected to be involved in terrorism, denying their right to a fair trial for years.

I have continued to be an outspoken critic of many of these outrageous and unlawful policies. I have collaborated with ‘Peace Mom’ Cindy Sheehan and the National A.N.S.W.E.R (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition to help end the war in Iraq, bring home the California National Guard, and fight any further encroachment by this Administration on our civil liberties. It is through our vocal and unified demonstrations that our voices will be heard and the world will take notice.

As your Assemblyman, I continue to seek out ways to shelter our individual freedoms and liberties. I am a principal co-author of Senate Bill 202, which would prohibit telephone companies in California from turning over personal information and telephone records without getting their customer’s consent first. In today’s modern world, your personal information can too easily be sold to anyone willing to pay a fee—including the government, internet stalkers, and thieves. We should be protected from these threats.

There are some simple steps that we can take to help protect our privacy and guard against identity theft. Your credit report is used by banks, employers, loan and credit card companies, landlords, and others to determine your credit worthiness. By checking it annually, you can ensure the information on your report is accurate and up to date. To receive one copy of your credit report for free each year, please contact (877) 322-8228 or visit www.annualcreditreport.com. Additionally, to better control your information, you can request that the major credit card bureaus stop sending you pre-approved credit card and loan offers that are easily intercepted by identity thieves. To stop receiving these offers, call (888) 567-8688 or visit www.optoutprescreen.com.

Our founders’ vision for America is proudly spelled out in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It includes our right to freedom of speech, religion, due process, privacy and equal protection under the law. These are extraordinary treasures that we must defend when anyone, including our own government, attempts to block them. We must also work to extend these rights to individuals who have traditionally been denied them, such as people of color, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people, the poor, women and the disabled.

I hope you and yours have a safe and joyful Fourth of July as we celebrate our country’s independence and our own rights and liberties. Happy Birthday, America.

If you would like to assist me in my work to safeguard our privacy rights, please contact our office in San Francisco at (415) 557-3013, via the web at http://www.assembly.ca.gov/Leno, or email me directly at Assemblymember.Leno@asm.ca.gov.