Tagged: Supreme Court of the United States

My Zip Code is My Business, Not Yours, California

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Image by @@ i-cha-ri-ba-cho-de @@ via Flickr

Copyright 2011-3011 By Chase Kyla Hunter, All Rights Reserved.

One of the many odd things I noticed as I traveled through California during 2009 was the peculiar new invasion of personal privacy that occurred at the grocery check-out counter. After ringing up your groceries the clerk would ask you for your zip code when you began to pay. I would invariably reply:

1-2-3-4-5-6 or

blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah,

and then stare blankly at the poor befuddled clerk, who was usually someone long accustomed to doing whatever someone in authority told he or she to do, without ever stopping once to ponder why. They would try to explain the inane retail reason that my zip code was now needed to finish the transaction, upon which I would flatly reply:

“I have been buying groceries for at least 35 years. No one EVER needed my zip code to check me out before, and you don’t need it now. Wanna debate this? I think the courts will agree with me….”

And the clerk would agree it was silly, type zeros on the designated spot, ring me up and I was on my way.

Apparently at one particular local grocery store no one had mustered the courage to NOT comply with this newest invasion of privacy until I was observed refusing one day, and then the next 5 people in line refused also. I knew I was right, and I knew a court of law would agree. The courts have now caught up with me and they agree.

Big Lesson: It took one person saying “no” to yet another invasion of privacy for the next 6 people standing in line to realize that they too could say “no,” and so they did. I’m glad the California court system has done right by the people of California and that the courts agree with us. They have ruled that clerks may NOT require consumers in California to provide their zip code when they shop. Here’s the link.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0211-privacy-20110211,0,6098077.story

Know your legal and civil rights. And remember the power of “no” in numbers.

Chase Kyla Hunter

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Bankrupt California Going on the Auction Block, One Chunk of Real Estate at a Time

Modern pawnbroker storefront.

Image via Wikipedia

Copyright 11.22.2010 By CK Hunter

I’m sure many Californians, like me, have watched in horror this past year as more and more special places and once endeared sites, buildings and assets have gone up for sale. It appears that the state of California is now so broke that not much is sacred any more. If it can be liquidated, it’s for sale. I am reminded of the fire sales that Russia allowed to take place some years back, when they allowed the auctioning off of some of their most treasured historic artifacts from the early days of their space program, including suits that famous Russian astronauts donned in the 1960s.

One will get the similar impression strolling through the aisles of large inner pawn shops in California these days. All kinds of heirloom items once cherished are now under the glass cases of “Joe’s Pawn and Loan” down on some street corner. Where does it all end?

If families weep at the thought that they may be forced to liquidate family heirloom treasures to make the mortgage, and car payment and keep the creditors at bay, it is only a grim and brooding comfort to know that the state of California is now doing pretty much the same thing.

In a moment of supreme irony, the Los Angeles Times news media reports today that Oprah Winfrey gave away 2012 Volkswagen Beetle autos to her entire audience. Sheesh. Only in America can the entire studio audience of a billionaire TV star receive gift Volkswagens while the most treasured real estate owned by the state of California goes up for sale in the same week.

Here are some related links below:

Chase Kyla Hunter

Building Which Was Home to CA Supreme Court May Go Up For Sale

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