National ID

[DarleenMB]

Have I been in a coma? I just now read this ugly little tidbit:

The federal law in question is the Real ID Act (here's our FAQ on the topic) that was glued on to a military spending and tsunami relief bill last year. Because few politicians are courageous enough to be seen as opposing tsunami aid, the measure sailed through the U.S. Senate by a 100-0 vote and navigated its way through the House 368 votes to 58.

Unless states issue new, electronically readable ID cards that adhere to federal standards, the law says, Americans will need a passport to do everyday things like travel on an airplane, open a bank account, sign up for Social Security or enter a federal building.

full text here:

http://news.com.com/2010-1028_3-6061578.html?part=webshotsrss&tag=6061578&subj=news

I mean I had heard about the chip being implanted in passports which is why we got ours LAST year. But seriously... I tried to search the forums and the archives and came up with zilch. So if I missed all the discussion could someone point me in the right direction?

In the meantime I'm busy writing my so-called representatives about this Orwellian nightmare.

[rodeodance]

1. Sensennbrenner was pushing it.

[RobertSeattle]

2. Flame away, but I have no problems with a National standard for ID cards

Some things need Federal standards, other things can be left to the states to decide. State ID cards should have national standards since they are used in every state.

[atreides1]

4. And another white flag goes up

If they start with this, when will it stop? I never had any problems with my state drivers license while I was in the military.

Let the states decide on their own, and not under threat from the federal government.

If you and others are willing to give up on this, how much more will you be willing to give up so that you can have some false sense of security or whatever it is you're advocating?


The things that need federal standards, like clean air, drinking water, and land, are the things that
the federal government are trying to do away with.

Personally I don't trust the federal government as much as you seem to.

[DarleenMB]

5. THANK YOU!

I'm suffering from a blonde senior moment this morning and you expressed EXACTLY what I am feeling about this.

[onenote]

7. i agree with you -- my license already complies anyway

Here's what the bill requires in state-issued ID cards:

Full Legal Name
Date of Birth
Gender
Drivers License (or other ID) number
Digital Photo
Address
Signature
Anti-counterfeiting measures (watermark, etc).
Machine readable

My Virginia Drivers' license already has every one of these. I suspect that's true of a great many states.

onenote

[greenbriar]

8. Jews didn't think papers were bad either

until it was too late

[onenote]

9. so you are opposed to driver's licenses?

[Cerridwen]

12. A driver's license is to affirm that the person driving has

passed a test for driving competence (in theory, anyway :evilgrin: ) The use of it as identification is another story altogether.

[onenote]

13. now I'm really confused...

Are you opposed to identification in general or just the use of driver's licenses for identification? A driver's license has to be identifiable to a particular person or else it really doesn't serve much purpose. So if its got ID info, and requesting ID is legitimate for other purposes...at the bank, at airports, etc....if you don't approve of using a driver's license for those purposes, what would you have people use?

[Cerridwen]

14. I am opposed to a national database of u.s. citizens

As a former gov't employee who worked in gov't IT departments and who has worked in private IT departments, I am horrified at the thought gov't having "at their fingertips" the "life and times of Cerridwen."

And I remember a time when a driver's license had no photo on it. I have also seen a social security card which had the words "not to be used for identification purposes" on it. These were once documents used to verify one was licensed to drive or that one was paying into the social security system.

I've yet to see gov't competence in securing data and/or data systems. I've yet to see private industry concerned with consumer rights of privacy if it conflicts with their bottom line. The u.s. park service, as one example, has had to, on several occasions these past five years, shut down their email servers due to security concerns. Another example is a state agency's database of families and children and their family histories running on the most un-secured network I've ever had the displeasure of "supporting." Are you aware the some state motor vehicle departments sell their lists to private businesses? That these same private businesses use these lists to target their marketing to you based on your demographic; i.e., age, vehicle you drive, insurance you buy, general income level based on your address, driving record, etc.?

The information is unfortunately already out there in bits and pieces (bits and bytes?) but it requires some small effort to gather and collate. A national database puts all my information, your information, your mother's information at the gov't's less than secure fingertips.

No, I don't trust my gov't to use any information it may have on me in a responsible and secure manner.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. A constitutional amendment we desperately need

"No bill shall embrace more than one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title." Washington State Constitution, Article II, Section 19

We desperately need to get rid of these kinds of nonsensical riders to legislation.

[onenote]

11. the REAL ID bill pased the House easily on its own

In Feb 2005, the House voted 261 - 161 to pass the the Real ID bill as a standalone measure. A month later, the House voted, by voice vote, to attach the bill, as adopted the previous month, to the Defense etc approps bill. That bill then passed the House 388-43 and the Senate 100-0.

onenote

[RufusEarl]

6. It want be long until we have to show papers,

just to cross state lines. This is not a good idea to my thinking, we're suppose to be a free society.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Almost there already. You wouldn't believe the documentation I had to

present to open a checking account last month (with a $5.00 deposit no less). PATRIOT Act really reaches into banks (the Gov wants to know how much money you have and how much you take out, etc. and not just for IRS purposes).