Big Brother is watching

[chuck_curtis]

In the interest of safety, of course...

Sean Walter, an attorney and first-term town supervisor in Riverhead, N.Y., insists he is a staunch defender of privacy rights and the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure.

But Walter supported using Google Earth images to help identify about 250 Riverhead homes where residents failed to get building permits certifying their swimming pools complied with safety regulations. All but about 10 eventually came to town hall.

Walter said the focus was safety, not filling town coffers with permit money, which averaged about $150 depending on the size of the pool. A 4-foot fence is required, gates have to be self-closing and padlocked. All pools must have an alarm that sounds when sensors are activated indicating someone is in the pool.

"We have a town employee who is a personal friend of mine whose son was found face-down in a swimming pool," Walter said. "He's OK, but I don't want to be the supervisor that attends the funeral of a child that drowns in a swimming pool."

Lillie Coney, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C., fears that while Walter's focus was safety, other municipalities may use the images to check for other transgressions.

"It's only a matter of time," Coney said. "There are lots of ordinances where this can be used. In California, where they deal with brush fires, could a satellite image show if a homeowner has brush growing too close to his home? What if someone has junk cars on their lot in violation of ordinances?"
Riverhead resident Tony Villar said the town's action "could be considered Big Brother looking down at you."

"But at the same time, if the government can listen to your telephone conversations in the name of terrorism," he said.

Standing outside the Riverhead Public Library, Walter Casey of Flanders agreed. "I think it's a great intrusion on people's privacy; they should use it on the politicians' backyards."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100814/ap_on_hi_te/us_eyes_in_the_sky

[Amazed]

"...Walter supported using Google Earth images to help identify about 250 Riverhead homes where residents failed to get building permits certifying their swimming pools complied with safety regulations. All but about 10 eventually came to town hall. "
 
So?

[chuck_curtis]

So, I posted a board service information piece. 

[Amazed]

People need to get building permits, so? Are you against that?
 
Satellite imagery wont go away, it has lot's of uses, one is identifying uninspected pools. We can shut down all satelite imagery if you think it's an invasion of privacy. Have you ever googled your home? Is someone violating my privacy for peering into my backyard? Should we require people to wear blinders as they may peer into my livingroom as they walk by if the blinds are up? Do you want to do away with construction standards? Do you have a point?

[chuck_curtis]

I only wish border crossing laws would be enforced with such vigor.  Maybe it's because there is no return on investment.

[Amazed]

Are you saying that satellite imagery should not be used to monitor the border or that it should be?
 
Since border cressers are a moving target I have never heard that satellite imagery would be helpful but if it would be I'm all for it.

[chuck_curtis]

Well, no, that's not what I said.

[derhund]

A man's home is his castle.
 
Well, maybe it was before the Libs/Dems changed the rules in America.
 

[Amazed]

"Well, no, that's not what I said."
 
Well, now we're back to ground zero, WTF are you talking about?

[Amazed]

"A man's home is his castle."

So if a patrolling police officer observes a homeowner comintting a crime on his property he should what....avert his eyes? Why have police patrols at all in residential areas?
 
If we have new technology it will be used, is thatw rong? Or illegal? WTF is your problem?

[chuck_curtis]

Surely there are other threads with idle arguments already in progress, Amazed.  Sheesh.

[Lysistrata]

What kind of irresponsible idiot would get a pool built without a safety permit?