Big Brother is here.

Huge bipartisan

(Republocrat) support in 1996 created a monstrous package

of bills known as "Welfare Reform." These

welfare reform bills gave the government the authority to

create and maintain a database, a list of our practices

and activities in the following areas:

� Government access to our

bank accounts and transaction history without a court

order.

� Government access to

utility records, i.e., records of private companies with

whom we do business.

� Employment history.

� New Hire registry. All

companies must send "new hire" information to

the state to see if the new employee owes the state any

money.

This welfare reform package

also mandated that states pass laws which allow the

government to do the following without a court

order or any government agent or employee having to file

an oath or affidavit:

� Seize bank accounts.

� Seize real property.

� Seize tax refunds.

Government also has the

right to deny and revoke professional licenses without a

hearing, without the privilege of having factual

information presented to a jury of one's peers.

Is this the type of

government our founders and forefathers had in mind when

their blood was spilt rebelling against the king of

England? I think not. Yet our elected representatives

voted for this stuff. [U.S. Rep.] Mac Collins

(Republican) voted for it, state Senator Greg Hecht

(Democrat) voted for it and state Representative Kathy

Cox (Republican) voted for it.

It is time for a change,

but the Republocrats have a stranglehold on the elective

process in this state. A bill was introduced in the last

Georgia legislative session which would have made it

easier for open ballot access to independents and third

party candidates. This bill was soundly defeated and was

voted against by Peachtree City Rep. Kathy Cox. Her

reason for doing so was stated in a letter to one of her

constituents in which she labeled the views of the

Libertarian party as "dangerous."

I think it is obvious from

the voting records of our current reps who the most

"dangerous" groups to our rights are.

Lee Hunt

Secretary, Libertarian Party of Fayette County

Fayetteville