Scientists, Engineers Sue NASA Over New Unconstitutional ID Checks
By Logan Murphy Thursday Aug 30, 2007 4:31pm
AP Via Yahoo:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers sued NASA and the California Institute of Technology on Thursday, challenging extensive new background checks that the space exploration center and other federal agencies began requiring in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
The lawsuit says NASA is violating the Constitution by calling on employees — everyone from janitors to visiting professors — to permit investigators to delve into medical, financial and past employment records, and to question friends and acquaintances about everything from their finances to sex lives. Those who refuse could lose their jobs, the suit says.
"They don't tell you what they're looking for, they don't tell you when they're looking for it, they won't tell us what they're doing with the data," said plaintiff Susan Foster, a technical writer and editor at JPL for nearly 40 years. Read more...
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the us is becoming the old ussr and the old ussr is becomming the old us. maybe.
About time this bullshit was challenged.
This is the type of action that needs to take place in order for us to get back our constitutionally given rights.I support these brave people 100%.There comes a time when Jesus can`t help you, and this is it.I`ve given up my rights for the last time.No more.
Hay its U.S.A what do you expect Freedom
Welcome to twenty years ago if you want to work in areas where clearances are required. While this stuff may be new to them, it's not new.
"The subject's penis is 6.25 inches when erect (which, considering his workload, is infrequent). When he does have sex it is usually by himself, although there was that one instance at the Christmas party when he went home with Subject 3486-984a (see seperate report).
"He seems to spend most of his salary on HO scale model railroading. He has an extensive layout in his basement which has been painstakingly assembled over the past seven years."
"He is medically fit, but both his grandfather on his mother's side and his father's sister suffer from Alzhiemers (he should be closely monitored for this in a few years and evaluated accordingly."
I feel so fucking safe...
Samck_dab @ 5:
It is new to the depths that it is being taken, and it is new that you no longer can have access to your file.
I worked for DARPA and JPL, you could request what was on your background check. And definitively there were limits about how much they could intrude.
After 9/11 I had all my bank accounts frozen. I had security clearance for some military related development, I wasn't a US citizen... but the FBI basically told me to suck it while they got their act together. I spent almost 3 months w.o access to my own money, I had to survive through the grace of my better half and my foreign credit cards. Fun times, fun times....
I never ever again worked for anything that had to do with DARPA or military money, the last conference in computer architecture it was a pleasure to see that most publications were from foreign first authors. This country is going down the drain, couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of people.
And so it begins......can you say 'big brother'?
I was at the press conference. I was impressed with their bravery in standing up for their belief in the Constitution and putting their jobs at risk. How many of us would do that? We should support them in any ways we can. I've already written to our local congressman, Adam Schiff. I hope others will too.
"Do you wear diapers while you drive?"
Bastards!
"Land of the free, home of the brave"? Bullshit!
Captain Kangaroo @ 12:
I believe it was changed to "Work shall set you free"
These people fit the true meaning of the word "Patriot". They are doing what real patriots do, standing up for their country against their government.
Tonight on Hardball there was an interesting exchange between Chris and Pat Buchanan, about Larry Craig.
They hate us for our freedom!
xoites defends Constitution @ 6:
Hey! I know that guy. That Christmas party was a total mistake, but give the guy some credit, he's a full 7 inches.
Doctor Who @ 13:
Bingo.
Only here they don't have to threaten you with execution, they just say, "How are you going to afford that car note?"
Sounds like they're putting all employees through a full background check needed for classified information (I used to work in such an environment). If these employees have no chance of seeing such information (such as not dealing with launching spy satellites, maintenance workers not shredding classified docs, etc.), there is no reason to do such background checks.
Doctor Who @ 13:
Arbeit macht frei
Probably just checking for any union activities, nothing to see here.
one more fucking bush gop repug intrusion into areas that are NONE of their business.
they are trying to politicize everything. what is god next?
Gort @ 10:
LMAO
They have no savings. Lawsuit will take years. They will sign.
I want to know who these gnomes are that make these decisions. They must all be angels-on-Sunday-rude-on-Monday-uptight-paranoid-lapel-flag-conservative-Republican-office-wonks.
9/11 has created a fledgling "Paranoia Industry" that has gone way overboard.
And why the hell are they spying on us? We didn't fly planes into those buildings. It was Saudi and Egyptian citizens for Christ's sake. And what the hell have we done with them? By more oil. Instead we invade a country under a military no-fly zone and spy on our own people.
This is how it starts, then spreads to all places. I will not work for someone that insists on mandatory drug testing. I did that once (obviously I "passed".) I'm against these intrusions into my private life. All they should care about is if I do my job well (which I did.)
So wehat have I done? I just finished three years of training/studying (while keeping my day job) to become a REAL yoga teacher, and plan to start my own gig. That's the best route.
I just have a question, who "background checks" the people who are doing the "background checks"
If the president doesn't have to disclose his DUIs nor pass drug tests, why do we have to?
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070910/lindorff
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2007/2007083025571.html
I just hope no one had the audacity or anti-americanism to protest the invasion of Iraq.
Tim @ 23:
They have "JPL" on their resume. They can leave JPL and take a job anywhere else they please, if they start hurting for $$$.
Jerry @ 8:
Begins?
Fuck the government checks! Good for these folks, I hope they can pull this off!
Tim @ 23:
Or will get another job. Maybe even leave the country. Great way to encourage a "brain drain " at NASA.
Jen @ 29:
don't forget the revenge motive of the booscheney kkklan. that comes standard.
What I posted @27 are links to another article on the same subject, voicing their suspicions that the background checks are an attempt to silence these scientists on global warming, and their recent report about some ugly consequences of global warming.
I've no sympathy. NASA employees obviously take for granted the legions of defense contractors that are forced to submit to government scrutiny (like Boeing, Lockhead, etc..), all of which are necessary for launch vehicle technology, communications, aeronautics, etcetera... Welcome to the club JPL!
Matt @ 35:
Matt, RTA.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by 28 plaintiffs. Many have worked on such projects as the Mars rovers, the Galileo probe to Jupiter and the Cassini mission to Saturn, but none are involved in classified work, according to the suit. It seeks class-action status to represent similar JPL employees.
The JPL employees are not doing classified work like defense workers. You're comparing apples to oranges.
I could never understand this concept -- giving in out of fear. Ironically enough, I was a tech writer (just like Susan Foster) for 30 years. C'mon, Americans -- quit sniveling and hiding under your beds -- either from SCARY TERRORISTS ... or from our govt. ... OR from businesses. Fight back! Otherwise, things will continue to get worse.
Yes, I lost a few jobs because I did this. So what? If you have talent, you can easily get another one.
Thing Fish @ 36:
He probably is a defense contractor, so chances are his reading and comprehension skills are severely compromised.
JPL does mostly robotic space exploration, some of the technology transpires over to the military sector, but its usually via proxy projects. JPL however, has a tradition of being a festering hole of pinko commie action, mostly because you have probably the densest concentration of brain power due to JPL and Caltech being right next to each other.
You can not with a straight face request your own citizens (and it always begins with the intellectuals, BTW) to relinquish their rights in the name of security while at the same time provide billions in military aid to the country from which 80% of the hijackers came from. Ironically, Egypt the country where most of the rest of the hijackers came from is now manufacturing Abrams tanks.
So let me get this straight, US citizens who work in space exploration have to relinquish their privacy, while Saudi Arabia and Egypt get billions in weapons. Yeah, that makes total sense.
NASA = National Association of Scrutinized Americans
Good god thank the lord i'm not an American! It might be getting tougher here but at least there are enough labour backbenchers and liberal democrats to contain the paranoia.
Hum... I am just waiting to see when the first book burnings are organized by the College Republicans (the neu brown shirts).
The nazi and communist takeovers in Germany and Russia had a few commonalities, among them the need to control and supervise intellectuals. You know, them scientist think too much...
THIS is how public their work is
http://www.nasa.gov/
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
If the government wants to know what they are doing, all they need is an internet connection.
These background checks are intimidation.
Anybody know how hard it is to get Australian citizenship? I mean, I've really had my fill of life in the United States of Soviet Republics.
This is how they silence society. Tighten the noose bit by bit. Soon no one speaks out because if they do they can't get work. It always come down to the stomach.
Great idea Bush admin, piss off you best and brightest so they will head to Europe for better jobs instead.
The only thing left that is unconstitutional is the Constitution.
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