National ID Card
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Here is something that made it under the radar on February 11th. I agree with the Presidents views about our fight against ‘Terrorism’. I agree with taking the fight to them off of our shores. I support the decision we made to topple Saddam. I agree with the Bush Doctrine.
There is an issue I actually agree with the American Civil Liberties Union on. They are against it and so am I. It is an idea promoted by the current administration to thwart terrorists introduced by Wisconsin’s Republican Congressman James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. It would be drafted by the Department of Homeland Security. What is it? It’s called the ‘Real ID Act‘. It says that driver’s licenses and other ID cards must include a digital photograph, anti counterfeiting features and undefined “machine-readable” technology, with defined minimum data elements” that could include a magnetic strip or RFID tag.
States would be required to demand proof of the person’s Social Security number and confirm that number with the Social Security Administration. They would also have to scan in documents showing the person’s date of birth and immigration status, and create a massive store “so that the (scanned) images can be retained in electronic storage in a transferable format” permanently. Another portion of the bill says that states would be required to link their DMV databases if they wished to receive federal funds. Among the information that must be shared: All data fields printed on drivers’ licenses and identification cards, and complete drivers’ histories, including motor vehicle violations, suspensions and points on licenses.
It is nothing short of a National ID Card. I find myself siding with the likes of ACLU, World Socialist Web Site, Conspiracy Planet, and even People For the American Way, though not for the same reasons. This is definitely something I do not want. What’s so ironic, is we are debating if we should require an ID to vote in Wisconsin. Am I barking up the wrong tree? Let’s here your thoughts! Make sure you read Title II of the act that most news seems to be missing.
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I support the idea of a national ID card.
Current ID cards are too easy to fake.
I don’t support being able to track US Citizens, but if everyone had a difficult to fake / impossible to fake ID card we could make non citizens wanting to enter the country carry a similar card that would enable them to be tracked, and would make it clear they were not citizens
Thanks Don. Title II of this bill will make it mandatory to have your SSN on it. Your address is there also. Give me your SSN and your address and I can easily open a credit card in your name. I am more afraid of what centralized data, on the license or a database can allow one to do. Just yesterday Choice Point had to send out information to 130,000 customers because their SSN, and financial information was compromised. In the 1st day, over 700 people were victims of Identity Fraud in one form or another. The ability to track your movements may not be the aim, but the capability could be there. Entering any place could require you to swipe the card. Going into Public Transportation, Sports Stadiums, Airports, Trains, your front door of your apartment building, any place where one wants security, they could require a swipe of the card. This is a big privacy issue. I am for having NON-US citizens have some type of ID showing they are aliens. I would rather do like Russia does and have ALL visitors have to get a VISA to enter the US, even Canada and Mexico. They of course would have to pay for the processing and background checks.
Nice leg work Admin. Mary Eileen has a blog over at BBA to which I considered commenting but thought here would be best.
I too have some serious concerns about a national ID card. My concerns would be that anything can be hacked, and this card (or any card) will be no different. I have to admit, I have not put too much thought into this matter, other than a cursory review. I saw Sensenbrenner in a news conference, thought he was pretty sincere.
The kicker here is the fact that Mary Eileen was encouraged not to blog the matter. I find that amazing.. and telling.
This is looking like an idea in need of technology – that is where things will get scary. It could become authorized and then built. People who are non-technical always seem to come up with ideas that do not pass the physics test. This whole idea could be one. Sensenbrenner does not come across as an overly tech oriented guy.
I say he appears sincere because his motivation is national security and on that I heartily agree, but I would argue border security measures would do far more to ensure our security than a silly ID card that could surely be hacked. Can you imagine how much money they will spend setting this little gem of an idea up, especially if they don’t have a working model already? Good grief.