Posted by KenAnderson on 04/26/09 7:29 PM Last updated 08/03/09 01:49 AM [Newer: Try calling out your local Law enforcement about something real-]

The MN Joint Analysis Center (MNJAC), founded in 2005 with Federal funds, is Minnesota's 'fusion center,' our version of Missouri's MIAC that was generating reports targeting liberty orgs like our own here, and diseminating that info out to other law enforcement agencies. They are officially "very much a state-based entity acting in compliance with established policy and existing law," according to Director Michael Bosacker, retired Eden Prairie police officer now with the BCA directing MNJAC. I've yet to obtain any crystal clear info regarding whether 100% of their sustenance is derived from Federal sources still today; I do know that the stimulus bill included a good sized chunk of change for these operations. It does appear entirely possible that Minn lawmakers have never approved or funded any of this, but info on that is not forthcoming from the Director himself, who is a high school friend from decades past. Also unanswered are questions posed regarding constitutionally sound filtering of intel gathered in order to insure the Feds get absolutely nothing out of this 'state-based entity' in the way of data unless it is clearly and directly related to constitutionally authorized Federal business. I suspect its possible the Feds can access anything and everything this agency collects and gathers on Minnesotans- since the question got put forward and got soundly ignored.

These fusion centers around the country grew out of the events of 9/11, but have turned heavily towards gathering info on domestic crime and domestic organizations, since. Otherwise they'd have very little to do, so increased and locally coordinated (but Federally funded) gov't snooping is apparently the order of the day. Mr. Bosacker had something pretty chilling to say in our e-mail discussions- "The development of the MNJAC has been purposeful and intentionally incremental."

With regard to that creeping incrementalism, I would strongly recommend reading up on the new bills introduced by MN legislators last month furthering the secret snooping abilities, HF1449 & SF1103. It doesn't sound like these bills are going anywhere this session, but just the fact that they are being authored and presented is certainly reason enough to begin publicly calling for the demise of MNJAC and the taking of sledgehammers to the hard drives containing their data. Three good features I'd recommend:

http://www.mnprogressiveproject.com/diary/2732/sen-betzold-introduces-criminal-intelligence-data-bill-that-could-be-a-problem

http://www.politicsinminnesota.com/2009/mar09/2295/criminal-intelligence-data-or-control-files-new-bca-proposal-offers-glimpse-major-ex

http://minnesotaindependent.com/29613/civil-liberties-advocates-question-government-spying-bill

The MNJAC has a privacy committee that sets policy for protecting privacy as a watchdog of sorts; unfortunately they appear to be limited to the question of how to best protect privacy considering the MNJAC unauthorized mission, rather than whether such a mission is supportable in the first place especially considering the state has never authorized MNJAC's existence to my knowledge. The 11 individuals on that committee are listed below with e-mail where it could be readily had- I would particularly applaud Mr.Samuelson as a reluctantly serving member who has openly and publicly questioned MNJAC's reason for being. Perhaps we should be contacting him about how we can work together to insure that there is no longer any such fusion center in our state.

Mr. Charles Samuelson, Executive Director American Civil Liberties Union MN; csamuelson@aclu-mn.org

Mr. Richard Neumeister, Public Privacy Advocate

Ms. Laurie Beyer-Kropuenske, Director Public Information Policy Analysis; Laurie.Beyer-Kropuenske@state.mn.us

Mr. Robert Sykora, MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension & Defense Bar; Robert.Sykora@state.mn.us

Mr. Mark Anfinson, Attorney Representing Media

Mr. Joseph Newton, Attorney Representing MN Dept. of Public Safety; Joseph.Newton@state.mn.us

Chief Michael Goldstein, MNJAC Oversight Group Rep & MN Chiefs Assn; mgoldstein@ci.plymouth.mn.us

Mr. Richard Hodsdon, Legal Counsel MN Sheriff's Assn; rhodsdon@mnsheriffs.org

Mr. Michael Bosacker, Minnesota Joint Analysis Center Director; Michael.Bosacker@state.mn.us

LTC John Brossart, MN Dept of Military Affairs (MN National Guard Staff Judge Advocate)

Mr. David Johnson, Executive Director CriMNET / MN BCA david.m.johnson@state.mn.us

Posted 04/29/09 02:30 AM Terry McCall Burnsville, MN

Hi Ken, Thanks for the post. We do not want to be targeted here in MN like Missouri's MIAC did. That doesn't help MNJAC, and certainly not us. We need them focused on real threats. The legislature is one threat that comes to mind, but I digress. Perhaps we need to meet them head on ala the successes that we are starting to have with some Congressional offices (e.g. Like we did with Rep John Kline's staff which got him to sign on to HR 1207). I don't know any of the people that you listed but some of our folks may. I know people like Mike Campion. He's an old friend and knows that we are not a hazard. He and I spoke last at the Nat'l GOP. Just a thought, but if we open up some relationships with these people they may be less likely to pigeon hole us as dangerous nut cases. Someone like me perhaps a nut case, but not dangerous. Regards, Terry CD2 C4L Coordinator

Posted 04/29/09 08:45 AM KenAnderson Big Lake, MN

Terry, we don't want a task force like this pigeon-holing Minnesotans, period - casting a wide electronic net to gather information on associations and petty charges on all Minnesotans for the purpose of funneling these reams of garbage into some massive national data-heap. Which is precisely the direction they are taking their mission. This has big brother written all over it; it represents a stark breach of State vs Federal responsibilities. The state of Mn should be the first state to pass legislation strictly forbidding any state personnel from passing anything whatsoever onto Federal authorities for generalized data collection purposes, other than things that truly are Federal matters in the strictest sense. Its a sovereignty and separation of powers issue, and its time to gather allies such as Mr. Samuelson and the MCLU to stand firm in insisting on legislating against this. That's the best way to help an entity like MNJAC avoid losing focus on their 'job' as they are doing by straying from the original limited purpose of identifying terrorism from outside influences - make it absolutely clear that they are forbidden by Mn law to share state data with the Feds w/o constitutional basis. If you haven't already, please bring up the linked articles and read what Ms. Rowley, the former FBI agent, has to say about this nonsense and the directions it is taking with regard to spreading into the private sector as well. I remember a couple of Seinfeld episodes in which 'Nana' had to be protected from herself for wanting to be too generous with her limited resources, and any relative that cashed her check faced immediate anger and potential ostracization for cashing her checks. That's the relationship between state gov'ts and the Federal gov't that needs to be in play- for God's sake MNJAC, quit cashing Nana's checks! She's deeply in debt and on a declining income! Especially for such moronic purposes as raising busybody-ism to the nth degree, as Ms. Rowley so succinctly pointed out, there never was any problem with enough dots to connect. A billion more points of garbage in only provides a starker view of the garbage out, not better garbage. None of this is any of the Federal govt's damn business, to boot. The only responsible position for the state of Mn is to adopt zero tolerance toward any such endeavor within its borders, using its public/private data.