And Now For Our 'Other' Nightmare: New Real I.D. Rules To Limit Your Movements Starting May - Bible Prophecy News

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Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:37:29 -0800
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*Big Brother and The Police State*

*And Now For Our 'Other' Nightmare: New Real I.D. Rules To Limit Your 
Movements Starting May*

By Ryan Singel

Come May 11 this year, Georgia and Maine residents without passports may 
not be allowed into federal buildings and the lines at 
Hartsfield-Atlanta airport could stretch to Alabama, according to 
federal rules designed to morph state driver's licenses in a national 
identification card that were released Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the final regulations 
Friday that implementing the Real ID act, legislation that requires 
states to standardize their driver's licenses, forces current license 
holders to re-apply with certified copies of birth certificates and 
marriage licenses, and penalizes states that don't comply by making 
their licenses unacceptable for federal purposes, such as entering 
Federal buildings. Without any hearings, the measure was slipped into a 
must-pass military spending bill in 2005 by Congressman James 
Sensenbrenner (R-WI).

Eight states have already passed legislation opting out of the program, 
saying the costly program infringes on privacy and states rights. DHS 
originally estimated the cost of the program at $20 billion, but used 
creative math to slash that estimate by 73% today. Today's estimate said 
the change would cost states $3.8 billion, and individuals $5.8 billion. 
The federal government has only authorized $80 million in earmarked 
funds for the states, but says states can raid their state grant funds 
to get at another $280 million dollars.

Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff said the regulations would make 
the country safer.

"For about $8 per license, Real ID will give law enforcement and 
security officials a powerful advantage against falsified documents, and 
it will bring some peace of mind to citizens wanting to protect their 
identity from theft by a criminal or illegal alien," Chertoff said.

The regulations suggest the money is well spent since the licenses will 
prevent teen smoking and welfare cheating:

    It will be more difficult to fraudulently obtain a legitimate 
license and more costly to create a false license, which could reduce 
identity theft, unqualified driving, and fraudulent activities 
facilitated by less secure drivers' licenses such as fraudulent access 
to government subsidies and welfare programs, illegal immigration, 
unlawful employment, unlawful access to firearms, voter fraud and 
possibly underage drinking and smoking.

What Chertoff didn't say is that Real ID will make every current license 
holder have to re-acquire certified breeder documents and go to the DMV 
in person -- possibly multiple times -- to get their Real ID.

Today's regulations also say the federal requirements go into effect on 
May, 11 2008, but that states can apply for a waiver letting them 
putting off production until 2010.

But what about states that ask for a waiver with no intention of 
actually implementing the requirements?

According to a DHS spokeswoman, no application for an extension will be 
accepted unless the state promises it is trying to comply.

The Transportation Security Administration's rules requires that an 
airline traveler show a valid government identification document or go 
through a pat-down and intense bag-screening process.

If by May, Georgia hasn't changed it mind and the feds don't blink, the 
nation's busiest airport -- Hartsfield-Atlanta airport -- will have 
security lines that last for hours. If a federal court house did not let 
a state resident get to his court date or prohibited someone from 
getting into a Social Security office, lawsuits and a storm of 
unflattering news stories will surely follow.

The ACLU's Barry Steinhardt says that's not going to happen.

"There is not going to be any real penalty. This is a bluff," Steinhardt 
said. "Are they really prepared to shut those airports down? We don't 
believe that is going to happen."

Instead the real takeaway from today's regulations is that DHS is 
pushing the implementation of all of this onto the next administration, 
according to Steinhardt, who noted the rules were supposed to be in 
effect in 2007 and now have been pushed to 2010, 2014 and 2017.

Tim Sparapani, the ACLU's legislative counsel, warned cash-strapped 
states to steer clear.

"DHS is trying to spin states in deep budget crises to participate in 
this," Sparapani said. "Our message to these states is don't spend a 
dime on implementing these regulations."

The regulations set standards for information sharing between states, 
detail what documents can and can't be used to get an identification 
card, require states to keep giant databases that include copies of 
breeder documents such as birth certificates and social security numbers.

The regulations are much more lax when it comes to rules about third 
parties such as bars or retailers from swiping and recording the 
mandated bar code. In fact, there are no rules. States must create 
privacy and security rules, but there's no standard that must be met.

Melissa Ngo, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information 
Center, wonders if the plan isn't to require Real ID licenses to get 
employment, since Chertoff mentioned today that employers should be able 
to trust REAL IDs more than current licenses.

That also made her wonder about the rules for third parties to swipe 
licenses and store the information.

"The fact that DHS is touting that employers can use it means they are 
fine with third-person sharing," Ngo said.