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Federal ID on its way?

Mephisto

Philosopher
Mephisto
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
6,064
Any word on whether this is still being pursued, and couldn't we just have it tattoo'd on our right hand or on our forehead? I wonder what the fundie X-tians will make of this, provided that they see the parallels.

FAQ: How Real ID will affect you

By Declan McCullagh

What's all the fuss with the Real ID Act about?
President Bush is expected to sign an $82 billion military spending bill soon that will, in part, create electronically readable, federally approved ID cards for Americans. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the package--which includes the Real ID Act--on Thursday.

What does that mean for me?
Starting three years from now, if you live or work in the United States, you'll need a federally approved ID card to travel on an airplane, open a bank account, collect Social Security payments, or take advantage of nearly any government service. Practically speaking, your driver's license likely will have to be reissued to meet federal standards.

http://news.com.com/FAQ+How+Real+ID+will+affect+you/2100-1028_3-5697111.html
 
Mephisto said:
Any word on whether this is still being pursued, and couldn't we just have it tattoo'd on our right hand or on our forehead? I wonder what the fundie X-tians will make of this, provided that they see the parallels.

FAQ: How Real ID will affect you

By Declan McCullagh

What's all the fuss with the Real ID Act about?
President Bush is expected to sign an $82 billion military spending bill soon that will, in part, create electronically readable, federally approved ID cards for Americans. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the package--which includes the Real ID Act--on Thursday.

What does that mean for me?
Starting three years from now, if you live or work in the United States, you'll need a federally approved ID card to travel on an airplane, open a bank account, collect Social Security payments, or take advantage of nearly any government service. Practically speaking, your driver's license likely will have to be reissued to meet federal standards.

http://news.com.com/FAQ+How+Real+ID+will+affect+you/2100-1028_3-5697111.html
Click to expand...

You already have a federal tax number, called by some an SSN.

I am not all that keen on this Federal ID, I see it as redundant, and I object to military funds being used to pay for it. (That is what seems to be going on, but I may be missing something.)

DR
 
Darth Rotor said:
You already have a federal tax number, called by some an SSN.

I am not all that keen on this Federal ID, I see it as redundant, and I object to military funds being used to pay for it. (That is what seems to be going on, but I may be missing something.)

DR
Click to expand...

I agree - but it was my understanding that the Federal ID would include a photo. I also agree that using military funds is simply wrong, especially in view of all the things the troops are doing without. The likely justification for this was given at the end of the article.
 
My understanding is that Real ID is not another ID over and above your state ID, but rather a minimum requirement for anti-fraud security measures and a requirement that they be readable by the same card swiping technology. The IDs would still be issued by the states, not the federal government. I think the concerns of opponents are largely unfounded.

I agree about the source of the funding, though.
 
Mephisto said:
I agree - but it was my understanding that the Federal ID would include a photo. I also agree that using military funds is simply wrong, especially in view of all the things the troops are doing without. The likely justification for this was given at the end of the article.
Click to expand...

Whoops, there were 3 pages, I missed that on first reading. I still argue that this is a DHS matter and should not be hidden in the defense budget.

*note to self: write to Senate and Congress, again, asking them WTF their major malfunction is*

Who were the three Republicans who voted against it?
Reps. Howard Coble of North Carolina, John Duncan of Tennessee, and Ron Paul of Texas.

Paul has warned that the Real ID Act "establishes a national ID card" and "gives authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security to unilaterally add requirements as he sees fit."

Is this a national ID card?

It depends on whom you ask. Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's technology and liberty program, says: "It's going to result in everyone, from the 7-Eleven store to the bank and airlines, demanding to see the ID card. They're going to scan it in. They're going to have all the data on it from the front of the card...It's going to be not just a national ID card but a national database."

Steinhardt predicts the federalized IDs will be a gold mine for government agencies and marketers. Also, he notes that the Supreme Court ruled last year that police can demand to see ID from law-abiding U.S. citizens.

Will it be challenged in court?

Maybe. "We're exploring whether there are any litigation possibilities here," says the ACLU's Steinhardt.

One possible legal argument would challenge any requirement for a photograph on the ID card as a violation of religious freedom. A second would argue that the legislation imposes costs on states without properly reimbursing them.
Click to expand...
Bloody ^%!!@#*&&^ unfunded mandate are old news. I have no confidence that ACLU will win on that basis. All the White House has to do is print more money to fund it.

The ACLU has a golden opportunity to act. I am underwhelmed by their response. Thanks for nothing, ACLU.

DR
 
Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's technology and liberty program, says: "It's going to result in everyone, from the 7-Eleven store to the bank and airlines, demanding to see the ID card. They're going to scan it in. They're going to have all the data on it from the front of the card...It's going to be not just a national ID card but a national database."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh crap. My "Chubby Hot Chicks" porn subscriptions will now be public record. :boxedin:
 
Mephisto said:
I agree - but it was my understanding that the Federal ID would include a photo.
Click to expand...

The new Federal ID is going to be nothing more than your State driver license, which may have to be redesigned to include some required information. As of now, Ohio's driver license already complies with the list of required information, and won't have to be changed. I highly suspect that most states won't have to change a thing on theirs, either.
 
Joshua Korosi said:
The new Federal ID is going to be nothing more than your State driver license, which may have to be redesigned to include some required information. As of now, Ohio's driver license already complies with the list of required information, and won't have to be changed. I highly suspect that most states won't have to change a thing on theirs, either.
Click to expand...

Then, why bother? We're going to be suddenly safer how?
 
Darth Rotor said:
I am not all that keen on this Federal ID, I see it as redundant, and I object to military funds being used to pay for it.
Click to expand...

So we can just use all funding for current ID systems, get rid of said ID systems, and use that cash to implement the Federal ID system. Brilliant!
 
The actual section on IDs, from the version of the bill that was passed, is here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c109:6:./temp/~c109NKuzx4:e238497:

I agree it was odd for them to slip this into a funding package for "Defense, The Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief," but the actual measures contained in the bill don't seem particularly unreasonable. The only one I can see causing some trouble would be the requirement for "A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements," especially if that requirement is unfunded.

Calling this a "Federal ID," however, strikes me as hyperbole. As other people have pointed out, it is your driver's license or non-driver's ID card. The rest of the requirements -- A photograph, birth date, gender, the card #, address, and signature -- are done already by most states anyway.
 
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