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TechnoratiReal ID, Real Problem
The costly, burdensome federal mandate does little to stop illegal immigration and actually leaves us more vulnerable to identify theft; Maryland should join other states in rejecting it
"No. Nope. No way."
So exclaimed Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana when asked whether his state would participate in the federal Real ID program.
Frustration with this misguided, expensive and unworkable federal mandate also compelled another governor, Republican Mark Sanford of South Carolina, to call Real ID "the worst piece of legislation I have seen during the 15 years I have been engaged in the political process." If Real ID has any friends in the states, they're not speaking up.
This sentiment is now percolating through the halls of Congress. In recent hearings before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, senators from both sides of the aisle were blistering in their criticism of Real ID. "The massive amounts of personal information that would be stored in state databases that are to be shared electronically with all other states, as well as the unencrypted data on the Real ID card itself, could provide one-stop shopping for identity thieves," said Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, a Hawaii Democrat, at the hearing over which he presided with Republican Sen. George V. Voinovich of Ohio.
Unfortunately, some folks in Maryland have not yet gotten the message. Opponents of illegal immigration recently staged protests outside Motor Vehicle Administration offices, demonstrating a misunderstanding of Real ID. The erroneous impression that participation in Real ID will prevent illegal immigration or require Maryland to issue driver's licenses only to documented U.S. citizens is also shared by the O'Malley administration.
Before Maryland sinks hundreds of millions of its precious transportation dollars into the Real ID sinkhole, leaders should understand what participation in Real ID will and will not do.
Under the Real ID Act, the federal government requires states to issue uniform driver's licenses - essentially a national ID card - with insecure, unecrypted personal information on machine-readable strips. That means three bad things: huge costs of time and money for Marylanders, an easier task for identity thieves, and less, not more, security for our state.
Real ID will vastly increase the time, travel and expense involved in obtaining a Maryland driver's license. It will require every driver to re-enroll at the MVA. It will require every applicant for a state driver's license to submit original birth certificates and other original source documents in person to obtain or renew a license.
Real ID then requires these documents to be electronically stored in a database accessible to the federal government and every MVA in the country with no established restrictions on access, data sharing or data mining. It will render every Marylander highly vulnerable to identity theft and will subject personal information to misuse and fraud.
Real ID will increase our vulnerability to security threats and fraud at a cost of $4 billion nationwide and over $121.5 million to Maryland. And though it may seem incredible to those who believe Real ID is intended to improve the security of our borders, the one thing it does not mandate is that Maryland require proof of citizenship to obtain a driver's license.
The contradictory and unreal nature of Real ID is driving a rebellion against it by the states. Nine states have enacted laws prohibiting state participation in the program. Ten other states have passed resolutions opposing the program. States refusing to implement Real ID include states with a lawful-presence requirement for their driver's licenses as well as states with no such requirement.
Thankfully, there is a far better alternative. Recently, the National Conference of State Legislatures issued a call to support repeal of Real ID and passage of replacement legislation. The Identification Security Enhancement Act was introduced this year in the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support. That bill would protect privacy, would achieve effective driver's license security, could be implemented more quickly than Real ID and would not cost billions of dollars to be shouldered by the states.
A congressional subcommittee is considering this year's budget for the Department of Homeland Security, which contains $50 million for Real ID implementation. This is a tiny fraction of Real ID's real cost.
Maryland should join other states in saying no to Real ID. Marylanders should urge Gov. Martin O'Malley to end our state's participation in this wasteful and dangerous program and Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski to support the federal reform bill. This failed program should not be allowed to limp along to the next administration.
Real ID may be a real nightmare, but it is one from which we can still wake up.
Cynthia Boersma is legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland.
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
12 Comments so far
Show AllSo soon you will be required to show chipped ID to attend a political rally. Those who disagree can ofcourse wait outside.
They don't even need to ask you to show it. They'll scan you from 20 feet away, if any history comes back that they don't like, then a big guy will come tap you on the shoulder and tell you 'democracy is over, please step outside'.
"Logan's Run," anybody?
One of the reasons that Denmark (aka, the Happy Little Kingdom) can hold elections using paper ballots and have the results the next day, is that they have a Central Person Register here where every resident has a CPR number.
This number is used in all communication with public services. Foreigners like myself, who have residence have such a number and a card, which is also your access to medical care, among many other things.
The CPR is connected to the Folkeregister (Central registry) -- if you move to a new address, you are required to notify the register.
What's the problem? If a state goes fascists/totalitarian you're screwed anyway.
The real problem with "real ID" is that it is sneaky, ass backwards attempt by the incompetent fascists at Dubya, Cheney, & Co. to introduce a national identity card with all the security sloppiness of the private credit industry (who have managed to turn their own incompetence into a growth industry, identity theft protection and recovery). The Bush crime family had to go their ass backwards way because national identity cards (which are a common item in Europe) has way too many "Big brother" implications that even the brain dead idiots who watch Fox Noise would object to. So now we have this crapola legislation that is being enforced by one of the more inept of Bush's acolytes, Michael Chertoff (whom Brownie rightly blamed for the bungled federal response to Katrina). Only those relatively few Americans who hold a passport (only 10% of Americans hold one) are somewhat protected from this bureaucratic train wreck.
My smallest pooch, Elvis, 6 1/2 lbs. has a chip. They chipped him before I got him, so they can get him back and such to the Kennel or Vet that I have. That's the next step. It is minascule[sp?] and they just use a syringe with a large needle to inject it. Take a number, Next...
When I had to get a new Passport because I lost mine in one of my many moves, not one to stay in one place too long, it is chipped now. I did not even think to ask , What the Hell Information is in that damn thing, huh?
Anyone know what IS in that little bugger? Soon they say we will need our passports for air travel intra-state.
Remember that RFID tags can be read by a passing surveilance van driving down the street... just checking to see if you're in bed at the right time.
Radio Frequency ID strips? Next stop or is that part of the 'machine readable strips' and wasn't stated?
Electronic fascism will be inescapable if these preliminary steps are taken. It the steps we take now which will lay the tracks for a runaway train... electronic fascism.
Even a runaway train follows the tracks that were laid.
Sounds like someday nobody will know anymore who is watching whom or even who is watching the watchers. Privatized watchers? Them too and unauthorized hacker watchers too.
One thing for sure ...is that a whole lot of people that you don't know, will know a whole lot about you and you won't know a whole lot about them doing it.
This is what we set in place to be done to our kids. The ones who will get used to being watched ... our poor kids and grandkids? Yeah well... the electronic fascism we allow to be set in place now, step by step... is the only future they'll have ain't it? Do you think they'll escape it once it is set up?
But it is the privatized watchers. Private corporations with unconstitutional surveillance powers.
Electronic Fascism ...privatized?
That'll be enough to do the trick.
The spirit of our democracy is being weakened by giving power to a few who will use it in secret. What will data mining be in twenty five years? Maryland sets in place the foundations... which will be built upon.
A new motto for Maryland? >>> Everybody knows you in Maryland but you.
Some future... Everybody will know everything about you except you.
"Frustration with this misguided, expensive and unworkable federal mandate also compelled another governor, Republican Mark Sanford of South Carolina, to call Real ID "the worst piece of legislation I have seen during the 15 years I have been engaged in the political process." "
Oh yes, I'm a proud resident of South Carolina. First state to secede, and still proudly flipping off the Federals.
"Under the Real ID Act, the federal government requires states to issue uniform driver's licenses - essentially a national ID card - with insecure, unecrypted personal information on machine-readable strips."
Well, aren't they brilliant. The federal government never fails to amaze us with their gems. A ten year old has more sense!
Yeah, canuckchuck, we in Murka do have a problem with gov't peeping toms and national ID. My son just went to work at a company that requires direct deposit for paychecks. Force you to have a bank account. Confine your space, keep an eye on you. And you cannot buy a gun without a paper trail, unless you get it from an individual.
The fourth amendment protects against unreasonable searches. So let's just repeal the fourth amendment so we can move forward with the matrix.
People in the USA are adamant that their guns not be registered....but have not problem with THEMSELVES being registered?