Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 20:58:16 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <199809300058.UAA12168@belmonte.ne.mediaone.net>
From: mkb4@Cornell.edu (Matthew Belmonte)
To: john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov
Subject: oppose the Drug Currency Forfeitures Act

Dear Senator Kerry:

I write, as your constituent, to express my disapproval of the so-called Drug
Currency Forfeitures Act.  This bill, sponsored by Max Cleland (D-GA) and
Charles Grassley (R-IA), would allow the government to seize cash from any
American travelling through our airports or on our highways, if the amount of
cash being carried exceeds $10,000.  Although it's true that most people don't
carry such large amounts in the form of cash these days, the bill sets a
dangerous precedent by allowing the government to intervene in individuals'
private affairs without having any proof of wrongdoing.  It is this precedent,
more than the actual restrictions imposed by the bill, that strikes me as
dangerous.  I hope that you will act against this bill in order to ensure the
privacy and civil liberties of every American traveller.