This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: RBestrom7380 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.washington.counties.spokane/5465/mb.ashx Message Board Post: A couple of weeks ago, I attended a local forum that was presented by the Washington Coalition for Open Government. WWW.washingtoncog.org . This organization may have similar organizations in your own state. The forum concerned access to government information and public records. Find out and become ACTIVE in their work. This newspaper reporter attended the forum and wrote his article as to the lessons learned in the forum: http://www.thenewstribune.com/310/story/39415.html If this link becomes broken in the future, I have saved this article. READ this article. As we have watched, many local county recorders across the country have taken records off the Internet. These records are a MUST for genealogy research. They have done this in regard to the "threat" of identity fraud/theft. The definition of Identity Fraud in a number of jurisdictions is taking anothers identity to commit fraud. Identity theft is taking the actual identity of another person for a multitude of false reasons. Today, a very large number of persons (Mostly the elderly) are afraid, fearful, that their identity will be used by the criminal element for fraud. They are fearful of any of their information being posted on the Internet, as that would lead to identity theft of their names and accounts; and cause them great financial losses. But, they fall victim to someone on the Internet just asking for them to give their information, "Phishing". Information on the Internet is the cause... This is just NOT, repeat, NOT true. The main problem is not in online records, it is the credit industry giving credit to anyone that has a name of a person. I could get enough information from your garbage or steal your mail to give me MORE personal information on you than is available in public records. If I can't go online to get information, then all I would have to do is just go to a local county recorder and get the same information. So, I steal your mail, get your bank account information...or even those, almost daily, credit card application mailings. I then just apply for credit in your name. Or, I just go to a phone book and get your name and address and print out checks in your name. I can also just print out a false drivers license in your name and address. Any store would honor that. We don't need to hide records, we need to stop the use of immediate and unauthorized credit being given to criminals. EVERY credit card issuer needs to have restrictions in giving credit cards, just based on an application. Every retail establishment MUST require proven identity of a credit card or check. If you don't want to be asked for ID, then don't complain if your identity has been stolen. Genealogists, you MUST become active in preventing local county recorders from keeping information off the Internet. I do research nationwide. Even if it was State wide, I can NOT visit every county to see what records they may have on a family. I have found dozens, if not hundreds of family members...supposedly lost over time. We MUST have access to PUBLIC records. Contact your local county auditors, assessors, newspapers, state representatives. We MUST fight for availability of records ONLINE. Soon, these counties will be shutting off records for those even asking in person. The USA can NOT become an iron curtain for public records. Tell your State or County government representatives that they can actually SAVE money by putting this information online. They would not have to have their own staff do the research and provide the information being asked by a local person, or by a letter or email request. The SAME information could be provided automatically. The Washington State Auditor, Brian Sonntag has even made the statement that hardening security is better than eliminating access to public records. "I would rather see us respond to a problem than try to prevent one that hasn't happened yet," he said. We all MUST fight for open government records, at EVERY level. There is no "classified" information at the local or State level. I was a Special Agent with the Federal government, with 32 years of service. There ARE records that just anyone can not obtain. These include your IRS tax records. Your records will be safe...until someone at the IRS decides to sell that information. Or your bank personnel decides to sell your information. So, there MUST be a check and balance system to prevent someone just using your information...without someone actually contacting you, or questioning why the credit is being issued to another address. FIGHT for access to local government records. FIGHT for Internet access of the same records. FIGHT for genealogy research. And fight for restrictions to use of private information without proof of identity. POST this on your genealogy sites you visit. Ron Bestrom Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.