wistahpatsfan

There are so many problems with this idea that it's hard to know where to begin. Just another loss of state control to the federal consolidation of EVERYTHING. How hard will it be for someone to break into such a system and have their way with thousands of identities? With identity theft a major problem already, how can anyone think this will help keep us safer, not to mention help fight ID theft?

BOSTON— A new federal antiterrorism program, aimed at setting up nationally linked computer databases in every state with information on personal ID cards and higher-security driver’s licenses, is running into opposition from states, including Massachusetts. Officials here say it would be expensive for the state, inconvenient for residents, may fail to improve security and would launch a black market for fake IDs.

The Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005 and signed by President Bush, requires all U.S. residents without a passport to obtain a new state-issued type of driver’s license or ID card in order to board commercial airplanes, enter federal buildings, get Social Security benefits or get into other federal government programs, starting next May.

Because residents of states that do not adopt the new high security licenses would be barred from boarding airplanes or accessing government programs, the controversy is developing into a major state-federal standoff. The act’s draft comment period ends Tuesday.
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dl...705060682/1116

FreeTedWilliams

First off, National ID cards are barred by law, I forget the actual statue, but if you want to you can look it up, check under Title 8.

The RealID Act is targeting specific states that basically hand out ID cards and Driver's Licenses to anyone, North Carolina is the biggest culprit. All it says is that before you issuse someone a DL, make sure that they are in the United STates legally, and that they are who they say they are.

Now, if this law would have been in place on 9/11, how many of the hijackers would have been able to board planes?

This law COMES DIRECTLY OUT OF THE HALLOWED 9/11 Commission and not the administration.

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wistahpatsfan

Once again, the use of fear by the state to get us to relinquish another level of privacy. Everything we do from now on has to be tied to the WTC bombing. Terrorists in the ME are laughing their arses off as we become a police state. I understand your perspective, being a cop, as you view this as a tool to help you do your job more efficiently, but for some of us, the idea of continually handing over authority and privacy to the central government piece by piece until there's nothing left is a slippery slope I don't want to step on any more. This a philosophical difference of opinion.

There has to be a better way to interdict terrorists. This plan puts too much information on a single database, and that makes me nervous. It's just way too Soviet if you know what I mean. We try to limit our identity exposure for other reasons of personal security, and here the Feds want us to increase our exposure to ID theifs in the interest of "national security". Try improving our intelligence apparatus and electing leaders who will listen to the information they receive, even if it doesn't support a personal or political agenda. My agenda is about privacy and being left alone by the government as long as I don't hurt anyone.

Real World

I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea of a NAtional ID, but don't really support it either. As FTW mentioned, some states hand out ID's to illegals, or people who shouldn't have them. I think we can all pretty much agree that a US drivers license is a key to all things America. It is because of this that I'd be open to hearing some common sense measures aimed at restricting there availability to the non-deserving. The flip side is that I don't want some zig-heil system set up. I think, that if done sensiblely, we could find a way to implement some basic, mandated security standards that states must abide by, while allowing them to design, and issue their licenses with independence. What I always found funny, was the aguement against ID altogether. Who doesn't leave their house without their ID everyday?

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Pujo

Lots of people, especially older, poor people, don't have ID's and don't have the money to locate their birth certificate & get a reprint, then find an identity-confirming document or bring someone with them to vouch, only then to pay a fee to get a state ID. Make state-issued ID's free, and then make ID's mandatory. I've no problem with it on principle (lots of European countries that I'd call free - like Belgium - require everyone to carry ID's), it's just not an easy thing for everyone right now.

Real World

Lot's meaning what? 5, 10, 20 people? Or does lot's mean 30, 40, or 50% of the population? Furthermore, making them free is fine by me, but free once. Every 6 years you get your ID, if you loose it, you pay $100 for a replacement. How's that?

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Pujo

I don't know what percentage, but I'm guessing it's significant (at least 5% of the population by my guess).

Yeah, I wouldn't want to give someone a free ID every month if they kept losing theirs, free-every-so-often sounds reasonable.

Real World

Every 6 years when they expire. Anyone who looses it pays through the teeth for a new one.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Pujo

Yeah, hopefully they can get "pays through the teeth" into the language of the statute. No, not pays through the teeth, just pays whatever the cost is to produce and mail a new ID. ***** happens, people lose their wallets, and it's OK to make them take responsibility for losing their ID by making them pay for a new one, but the fee shouldn't be punitive.

BelichickFan

I never can understand the psychotic desire to have no national ID card/number/whatever. We have drivers license numbers, SSN, etc, I'm fine with having a card that identifies who I am. Better yet, keep as much information there as possible. If I get stopped for speeding, let the cop send my number off and see my registration is paid, etc. Better yet, have my card identify me when I log onto my computer so I don't have to have 6 gazillion usernames/passwords for places all with different requirements.