Patrick seeks to limit background checks

Governor Deval Patrick, returning to one of the more contentious issues of his campaign, has begun quietly putting together a plan to limit employers' access to the criminal records of potential employees.

Aides have been meeting with lawmakers and advocates working to limit the scope of the Criminal Offender Record Information law, which gives many employers broad access to criminal records. Activists argue that many applicants are rejected for jobs based on minor criminal convictions, crimes unrelated to the post, or records that contain errors.

BTW, you may want to check the bottom of your shoes when you get home. They may still be a little wet from walking on the water....

Never having had to answer to a judge or jury in a criminal case doesn't mean that I've never had anything to confess to my parish priest.I am certainly not without sin...but I've never had to be fearful when catching sight of a police car....and police cars and courts are what we're talking about here,correct?

Never having had to answer to a judge or jury in a criminal case doesn't mean that I've never had anything to confess to my parish priest.I am certainly not without sin..

Ah, a double standard I see. Good enough that you be forgiven for what you deem is forgivable but you wouldn't give forgiveness for what you personally haven't faced. And interesting that you see allowance of a second chance with God but don't see the same allowance if the State convicts you of a crime, no matter how minor

but I've never had to be fearful when catching sight of a police car....and police cars and courts are what we're talking about here,correct?

Yet you're willing to doom literally tens of millions of people to unemployment because they may have done something criminal and as you say at any level. Public drunkenness as a teen at the beach on Grad Week, bouncing a check in college, and countless other examples that are considered youthful indiscretions that harm no one should be carried for the rest of their lives and prevent them from getting a job if you were in a hiring position.

Just out of curiousity, how would you handle this massive influx of unemployment that would occur. I guess that wouldn't matter huh? D#mn sinners to the State deserve what they got eh?

Ah, a double standard I see. Good enough that you be forgiven for what you deem is forgivable but you wouldn't give forgiveness for what you personally haven't faced. And interesting that you see allowance of a second chance with God but don't see the same allowance if the State convicts you of a crime,no matter how minor.

I have no problem accepting that God would be every bit as willing to forgive your street racing incident (given the right "circumstances") as He would any of my sins (again,given the right "circumstances").And,for the record,having worked for 20+ years in a large hospital's ER,I don't consider street racing a minor offense.I'm sure you know what I'm suggesting.

Yet you're willing to doom literally tens of millions of people to unemployment because they may have done something criminal and as you say at any level. Public drunkenness as a teen at the beach on Grad Week, bouncing a check in college, and countless other examples that are considered youthful indiscretions that harm no one...

No,*I* wouldn't doom tens of millions to anything.I haven't advocated a law that *requires* employers to take my position...nor would I support such a law.I also haven't advocated that other employers adopt my position and would not do so.

Just out of curiousity, how would you handle this massive influx of unemployment that would occur. I guess that wouldn't matter huh? D#mn sinners to the State deserve what they got eh?

"Sinners to the state"? I've never heard that phrase before.

Fact...crimes (even minor ones) have consequences.Among the possible consequences are...death...imprisonment...fines...public scorn...difficulty finding a job...and others.

And I encourage you to remember one last thing...the original post is about a new Marxist governor....*my* new Marxist governor (whose political/social/legal positions you might find "interesting") seeking to make it more difficult for employers to learn of a job applicants criminal past.

Circumstances?!? What circumstances? Ask forgiveness and don't do it again. That's about all the 'circumstances' there are

And,for the record,having worked for 20+ years in a large hospital's ER,I don't consider street racing a minor offense.I'm sure you know what I'm suggestin

Ah yes, heard the same drivel about motorcycles for years. And I ride one of those as well.

No,*I* wouldn't doom tens of millions to anything.I haven't advocated a law that *requires* employers to take my position...nor would I support such a law

However you stated very clearly

I've never had hiring authority during my working life but if I did I'd refuse to hire anyone with any kind of criminal background...regardless of how minor and regardless of how long ago it was or how old the person was when the crime(s) was/were committed.

I take it by your statement, and the defense thereof, that you see that as a reasonable position. My point is that thank goodness no one else is taking that 'reasonable position' else we'd be a nation of unemployed.

Not saying I agree with him because that's your governor, not mine. What happens in Massachusetts stays in Massachusetts and the same for all other states. But I do see that to be fair I would have no problem limiting the scope of a background check to a certain number of years unless said crime was a felony. People change. For employers to be able to pull up something from 10-15 years ago when a prospective employee may have been going through a bad spot, made a mistake that caused no harm, etc. and make a judgement of employment or not based on said data is ridiculous

I grow weary of this thread,but it give it one more shot...

Ah yes, heard the same drivel about motorcycles for years. And I ride one of those as well.

I could tell you stories.Stories involving speeding cars.Stories involving motorbikes.Stories involving pedestrians.Stories involving 15 year olds...and 85 year olds.Stories that would tear your heart out.

All I can say is that you and I must travel in different circles.You seem to think that we're a country of convicted criminals whereas I'm strongly inclined to believe that my clean record,while not universal,is very common,indeed.

I grow weary of this thread,but it give it one more shot...

Ah yes, heard the same drivel about motorcycles for years. And I ride one of those as well.

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