February 24, 2004
Tampa PATRIOT Act forum this Thursday
T he USA Patriot Act and the balance between civil liberty and security will be the subjects of a televised forum this week sponsored by the League of Women Voters.Posted by Norwood at February 24, 2004 05:43 PMThe law, crafted after the Sept. 11 attacks, was designed to deter and punish terrorists by expanding investigative tools for police.
Opponents worry it removes checks and balances on police - and even threatens the civil rights and freedoms of those it is intended to protect.
Scheduled panelists include Paul Perez, U.S. attorney for Florida's Middle District; Carl Whitehead, special agent in the FBI's Tampa office; retired Army Col. Michael Pheneger, treasurer of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida; and Morris ``Sandy'' Weinberg Jr., a lawyer with the firm of Zuckerman Spaeder.
The League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County and county government television will host the forum from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday on the 26th floor of the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa.
HTV22 in Hillsborough will broadcast it live, and the forum will be replayed by WUSF Channel 16 at noon March 5.
