Greetings All. My thanks to Bob Daniel and Kevan Rhead for forwarding the following article. It was written by Tom Godfrey and published in the Toronto Sun Thursday 8 January 2004. The original article is available online at http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/01/08/307878.html While providing information for the goal of nabbing terrorists attempting to cross the border may be commendable, I have never been asked to allow my tax information to be used for that purpose and know of no-one who has been asked. In light of this announcement the withholding of 92 year old Census records becomes even more hypocritical and frustrating than it already is. I have sent a Letter to the Editor regarding this article and will forward it in a separate message. Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://globalgenealogy.com/Census en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm ======================================= Yanks will see your tax data By Tom Godfrey, Toronto Sun, 9 January 2004 U.S. border agents will soon have access to the immigration and tax records of Canadian residents for use in nabbing terrorists before they cross the American border. U.S. officials said an impending merger of Canadian and U.S. immigration and customs databases will also help them intercept illegal aliens, criminals and fugitives. Officials said the measure will give U.S. front-line agents the power to check Canadian residents -- citizens, immigrants, refugees or visitors -- driving into the U.S. at land crossings. They said U.S. officers will have access to Revenue Canada files, which contain tax information on Canadians, including their work records, property owned and investments. That information may lead to unemployed people being refused entry into the U.S., officers said. The merging of databases is one of 32 points in a smart border action plan that has been in the works since 2002.