Detroit
March, 2004
The Patriot Act Isn't Just For Terrorists AnymoreWashington gets a bad rap for being wasteful, but when it comes to stretching a mandate the feds are more elastic than Plastic Man. Consider the Social Security number. Originally intended to keep track of retirement payments, the nine digits have become a de facto national ID. At least Social Security numbers started out as a good idea. when function creep hits something that's a lousy concept to begin with, you get double trouble.In the weeks fo...
