14 May '07 - 196 W - + 6 - 9 Spitzer being bad again
This stuff is really disappointing, I honestly pictured Spitzer as a good presidential candidate in 8 or 12 years.
Governor Spitzer has proposed to expand NY State's DNA database by collecting samples from every convicted criminal, including those guilty of misdemeanors, like harassment or unauthorized use of a credit card. Spitzer also wants to streamline DNA collection in order for defendants to use it to clear their names.
The "we'll make it easier for defendants to use it to clear their name" bit is supposed to make this Orwellian pill easier to swallow, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a powerful organization building a massive database with huge potential for abuse. This sort of proposal failed back when Pataki was governor (the Democratic-led legislature shut it down), but now that both the governor and legislature are Democratic it seems more likely that it will pass. Let this stand as yet another example of why divided government is ideal - the two parties spend all their time fighting each other and leave the rest of us alone. It worked in the 90s, and what's more it gave late-night comedians plenty of material.