tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362663422037727028.post7970108313813342777..comments2024-03-25T14:09:25.720-05:00Comments on The Old Jarhead: Political Digest May 23, 2010Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362663422037727028.post-54988954490220528892010-05-23T12:12:46.524-05:002010-05-23T12:12:46.524-05:00Addition to my prior comment:
After talking to so...Addition to my prior comment:<br /><br />After talking to some of the managers I worked with, I think some clarification is needed. First, the ID the customer must provide does NOT indicate whether or not the customer is here legally. Second, because of the vast array of potential documents valid for use as ID, there is a lot of room for error. For example, would YOU be able to tell if a Driver's License from Guam was valid or counterfeit? Or maybe a Tribal Document from one of the upstate New York tribes? Or, how about a Hairdresser's License from Massachusetts? All of these are legitimate ID, provided they are valid and refer to the person presenting them.<br /><br />So, what solutions are available? We could "standardize" all the forms valid to use. This would be expensive and contenscious, but possible. But this would still leave us with litterally thousands of possible documents to be familiar with. Better, but facing far more controversy, would be a single national ID Card. I'm not sure the cure might not be worse than the disease.<br /><br />And, villians and rascals would still try to fake them. How many kids do you suppose have at least one ID that advances their age a few years? Yeah, damn near all of them. <br /><br />The reality is there may not be a solution that's compatible with the America we grew up with. The only real solution is to avoid the problem entirely: SECURE THE BORDERS! If illegals don't get in, they can't send money out.<br /><br />Sorry to be so long-winded. Ron PittengerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362663422037727028.post-65954741610798764122010-05-23T08:34:34.158-05:002010-05-23T08:34:34.158-05:00This comment has also been posted at laiglesforum....This comment has also been posted at laiglesforum.com, site of the original article.<br /><br />RE: Hit “El Presidente” where it hurts most — in the wallet<br /><br />Having just retired after spending many years in the convenience store business, I suspect you may be surprised to learn that all check-cashing services, payday loan stores, pawnshops that offer wire transfers, supermarkets and department stores that offer wire transfers, and drug or convenience stores that offer wire transfers are considered “banks,” and must be LICENSED AS A BANK by the state or teritory they are located in.<br />The law is now, and has been for many years, that MoneyGram, Western Union, and all other “banking institutions” (as defined by the Patriot Act of 2002)have been required to ascertain the senders identity, COLLECT, RECORD, AND SAVE IT ON FILE FOR six months to five years (depending on the amount involved) FOR INSPECTION by any law enforcement, IRS, or banking official who asks. The ID may consist of a driver’s license from any state or teritory of the USA, a US Passport, any foreign passport with an unexpired US visa, a US military ID, a “Green Card’ (which is actually brown, now) or other such proof of identity as is issued by a state or federal office for that purpose provided it has a picture and date of birth (for example, a pistol permit).<br />In addition, there are limits on how much money can be sent at a time or within a day. If it appears a customer is trying to structure a series of transfers to avoid reporting larger amounts, the “bank” is REQUIRED to assume the customer is attempting to break the law and report that to the IRS (they are the lead enforcement agency for this type of crime).<br />Most of the above regulations also apply to Money Orders. The purpose is to avoid money laundering.<br />The weak point in the system is the individual clerk. The clerk is often rushed, nervous to handle any amount of cash in more than three small digits–because the clerk rightly thinks it makes him/her a target for robbery–and may not be first-hand familiar with all the types of ID that can and will be presented. Can errors be made? Of course. Can employees be bribed to overlook rules? Only until they get caught.<br />The vast majority of wire payments are under $500 and sent within the USA to a friend/relative or to pay a bill. Also common is sending payments to prepaid chargecard companies–the payment is available to spend as soon as it is received.<br />The reason so many small stores make money on money orders and wire transfers is that abut one person in five in the USA has no bank account or permanent banking relationship. There are many reasons why this is so, and while some transactions are done this way for privacy, most of the time, it is for simple convenience.<br />Since most of what the author has recommended is ALREADY THE LAW, and has been since 2002, I thought this might clear up any misunderstanding of the current situation.<br /> Ron PittengerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com