Re: Draft Privacy Rulemaking- Vermont

[ahlewis@scsn.net]

Thanks *very* much to Mr. Whitaker for posting this!

I especially like the presumption of confidentiality...

> All information specific to, and identifying of, individuals
>and families is presumed to be confidential and subject to these
>standards.  

.. and the part requiring all employees to state that they 
understand their responsibilities.

>     Employees shall sign an affirmation that they will comply
>with these rules.  This affirmation shall be part of their
>personnel files.  Supervisors shall review this affirmation
>during annual evaluations.

I would suggest language requiring strong encryption of records as 
stored & transmitted, and specifying that failure to comply with the 
rule woul be grounds for dismissal from state employment.

His document shows that the matter *can* be simple.

Now the question: Who benefits if the matter becomes more complex? 
Not me; not you.

I am apolitical, but I cannot help remembering this (from a source I 
fail to recall): 
"Freedom will end not with a bang, but with a rustle of file 
folders."  And with an anonymous database download...

Alan Lewis