Thread: Governors: Drivers License Costs to Soar

DES MOINES, Iowa - In the name of homeland security, motorists are going to see costs skyrocket for driver's licenses and motor vehicle offices forced to operate like local branches of the FBI, the nation's governors warn.

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The new federal law squeezed this spring into an $82 billion spending bill had Republican and Democrat governors fuming at their summer meeting here, and vowing to bring their complaints to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a Monday meeting.

"It's outrageous to pass this off on the states," said Republican Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, incoming chairman of the National Governors Association. "You're essentially asking the front-line clerks at the DMV to become an INS agent and a law enforcement agent."

The law that passed in June goes beyond an earlier law that sought to standardize state driver's licenses, requiring that states verify license applicants are American citizens or legal residents.

"This is going to drive the cost of driver's licenses for ordinary folks through the roof," said Democrat Tom Vilsack of Iowa. "I think it's going to drive people crazy."

The law would demand skills of motor vehicle office clerks far beyond what is currently expected, governors said.

Democrat Bill Richardson of New Mexico said the law, known as the REAL ID Act, unconstitutionally infringed upon state laws such as his, where illegal immigrants have been able to get licenses.

New Mexico's approach made roads safer since licensed immigrants could get insured, helped the state keep track of immigrants, and also helped integrate immigrants into the community, he said.

"It's a shortsighted, ill-conceived initiative," Richardson said. "We'll challenge it constitutionally."

On Sunday, governors said they'd agreed on a months-long bipartisan proposal to improve the federal-state Medicaid program. They said it should help slow the program's soaring costs, and let states experiment with more effective ways to deliver health care.

If accepted in Washington, the governors' plan would allow states to demand co-payments from poor, disabled and women with children, and add tools to curb seniors from giving relatives their assets so they could get Medicaid-funded long-term care.

Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record), the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said the governors' work was crucial to winning agreement in Congress on any Medicaid changes. President Bush wants to trim the growth in the program by $10 billion over five years.

The governors proposal "is really key to getting something done. We will not get a bipartisan agreement in Congress without a bipartisan agreement from the governors," Grassley said after meeting privately with governors.

Governors also took aim at a piece of Bush's new Medicare drug prescription policy, with more than a dozen weighing a legal fight to challenge part of the new law.

Their concerns centered on a relatively small portion of the policy that would affect the elderly who are poor enough to qualify for Medicaid and old enough to qualify for Medicare.

Governors have long argued that the federal government should pay the costs of that group, which are significantly higher per person than for the rest of the Medicaid population.

The new Medicare law means the federal government nominally takes over responsibility for that group, but requires states to continue to pay the overwhelming majority of the bill for their drugs by sending cash to Washington. Many governors said the complex and cumbersome federal formula means they would pay more money than before.

Texas and New Hampshire have put aside the money they would send to the federal government to cover those drug benefits until the dispute is resolved. Republican Rick Perry of Texas wrote a letter to fellow governors arguing they should work together to change the federal policy.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050718/ap_ ... s_id_cards

"It's outrageous to pass this off on the states," said Republican Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, incoming chairman of the National Governors Association. "You're essentially asking the front-line clerks at the DMV to become an INS agent and a law enforcement agent."

Oh listen up, you Lying' Traitorous Slug....Americans are put through the "mill" if they don't have papers, documents, EVERYTHING they are supposed to have when they show up at DMV Offices all over the United States just when they MOVE from STATE TO STATE!! It won't cost the state DMV office any more to decline an illegal alien and send them on their way than it costs to decline an American without all the proper papers and send them on their way.

"This is going to drive the cost of driver's licenses for ordinary folks through the roof," said Democrat Tom Vilsack of Iowa. "I think it's going to drive people crazy."

Tommy, YOU'RE CRAZY!! If an illegal alien shows up at DMV, look stern, ask for papers, if they don't have them, say "NEXT"!!

How hard is that? You and Hucky Boy are fabricating nonsense to deceive the American People; which means you're lyin' to us...because you can't be that stupid and be a Governor of Arkansas or Iowa. I'm originally from Missouri right in the middle of both of ya....and I know the good people of Arkansas and the very pragmatic people of Iowa don't elect Dumbos to run their states.

So.....why the CON GAME BOYS?

Is this the latest "strategy" e-mailed in from the GLOBALISTS over the weekend?

Did you really think something as wild-eyed stupid as THAT would fly here?

Just tell your DMV's to say....... "NEXT"!

TIP: Accompany it with a hand movement...you know that "move along wave"!

Veeeeery simple.

Problem Solved.

Judy,
The costs are going up because they will be doing background checks on everyone and have to process everyone’s social security number and birth certificate. They have to put all of that information on them plus whatever other information Homeland Security wants along with a digital Photo and have the databases to store and retrieve this information with all 50 states plus Mexico and Canada.

The real Id will make criminals out of millions of Americans who will refuse to get it. They refuse to bend over to the globalists trying to unify our 3 countries. This ID will not stop illegals from driving, and it will not stop them from entering our country illegally. That is why I fought so hard against it.
om driving, and it will not stop them from entering our country illegally.

I understand that with the RealIDAct. But the states should never have given out driver's licenses to illegal aliens to begin with!! And, even without RealIDACt, the states SHOULD NOT give out driver's licenses to illegal aliens in the future or renew those licenses they issued. Doing so is crazy and has ampified this problem dramatically.

WE need to REPEAL the RealIDACt and simply tell states that they can not issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens and allow these aliens onto our federal highways in violation of federal US Immigration Law.

Virtually every major highway in the United States was built with FEDERAL MONEY not state money and who operates on them is a FEDERAl DECISION.

States usurped that and do so willingly and wrongfully. I do not feel sorry for these sorry assed Governor's that did that to pick up some ILLEGAL VOTES.

IT SEEMS THERE IS A LOT OF MISINTERPRETATION ABOUT THE REAL ID ACT.

THE GOVERNORS (NOTED IN THE ARTICLE) DON'T LIKE IT BECAUSE LA RAZA DOESN'T LIKE IT...AND AFTER SPEAKING AT THE HISPANIC LOVEFEST IN PA RECENTLY...PROBABLY WERE TOLD TO TRY TO KILL IT (THAT'S WHY THEY ARE CRYING ABOUT COST NOW). DON'T YOU KNOW THESE GOVERNOR'S HAVE PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS? THIS IS HOW THEY ARE COURTING THE HISPANING VOTE.

WHAT'S GOING ON IS JUST A PLAN TO SABATOGE ITS IMPLEMENTATION (JUST LIKE WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH PROP 200 IN AZ TO LIMIT SOME WELFARE TO ILLEGALS) BY SCARING TAXPAYERS AND TRYING TO PUT LEGAL BLOCKS IN THE WAY. (REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO PROP 187 IN CA?)

DON'T FALL FOR THE PROPAGANDA. THE REASON THE REAL ID ACT WAS NECESSARY IS BECAUSE THE STATES WERE NOT WILLING TO STOP HANDING OUT LICENCES TO ANYONE WHO WANTED ONE (ALSO PANDERING TO THE ILLEGALS, PRIMARILY HISPANICS.

SOME STATES' PUBLIC OFFICIALS JUST DON'T HAVE THE BACKBONE TO DO THE RIGHT THING...IF THEY DID....THE REAL ID ACT WOULDN'T BE NECESSARY.

THE US HAS A GROWING CANCER NAMED CORRUPTION....AND IT ISN'T GOING TO BE EASY OR PAINLESS TO CURE.

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT SOME PUBLIC OFFICIALS WILL PURPOSELY MAKE PROBLEMS WITH REAL ID IMPLEMENTATION JUST TO PISS OFF TAXPAYERS SO THEY SCREAM FOR REPEAL OF THE LAW...JUST WATCH! (THIS IS AN OLD PLAY, BUT AN EFFECTIVE ONE).

CLEARLY THE STATES NEED A UNIFORM AND SECURE DRIVERS LICENCE SYSEM IF STATES ARE TO ACCEPT OTHER STATES LICENSES.

WHEN PEOPLE STOP USING COMMON SENSE (I.E., GIVE LICENSCES TO ILLEGALS), THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO FEDERAL INTERVENTION.

MY BELIEF IS THAT "REAL ID" CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT A LOT OF ADDED COST. AND IF PEOPLE ARE TOO STUPID OR LAZY TO BRING THEIR SS CARD AND/OR BIRTH CERTIFICATE ALONG (1 DAY A YEAR) TO PROVE WHO THEY ARE ...THEY SHOULDN'T BE DRIVING ANYWAY. THE SAME GOES FOR VOTING!

PEOPLE HAVE AN ENTIRE YEAR TO PREPARE TO GET THEIR DOCUMENTATION READY...SO NO EXCUSES!!!!

I THINK TOO MANY AMERICANS ARE BECOMING SOFT...AND WANT EVERYTNING HANDED TO THEM ON A SILVER PLATTER.... PREVENTING FRAUD/CRIME/TERRORISM SEEMS TO BE SUCH AN INCONVENIENCE TO SO MANY PEOPLE.

Steve,

Number one the federal government has no business meddling in the affairs of the states. The Real ID will be a federal identification number. This means that if the feds want your fingerprints, retina scan, etc on this ID than so be it.

Number Two: the real id act is a Trojan horse designed in order for the government to have more control over you and I. Drivers License's and ID cards are not a mandatory document that is required of ordinary citizens (in order to obtain employment), but the Real Id card will be a required document for employment. This will spill over into our everyday lives and is just a small stepping stone to implanted micro chips under the skin.

Number Three: the information that is stored in the database for the real id will go into a tri-national database that will be shared with Canada and Mexico. I don't know about you, but I personally do not want my information shared with other countries.

Number Four: Illegals will still be allowed concessions to obtain drivers licenses. States such as CA are working on getting legislation passed so illegals can show their matricular cards, etc and still get a driver's license. Thus the real id will do nothing to stem the number of illegals getting driver's licenses in the US.

Number Five: Yes, you can believe the mainstream media propaganda that states are handing out driver's licenses like they are candy, just like you can believe the mainstream media propaganda that illegals are doing the work the American’s wont, that American made products are inferior, or you can look past the so-called truth that they want to force feed the American people and do your own research. Remember the old saying if you tell a lie long enough eventually people will believe it.

Think about it as your rights are slowly being stripped away by our government and you voice your concern about it, they will probably say something ignorant like: If you're not doing something wrong than you shouldn't worry about it.

This statement is the result of what is said all the time by law enforcement officials on the TV, etc. It is a statement made out of blind ignorance by people who have never had to fight for the rights our forefathers fought for. It is a statement made by people who have grown weak and lazy, both mentally and yes even physically. It is a statement made by people who don't even appreciate what they have until they wake up one day (in the near future) and it is gone.

Steve, There are so many things wrong with the REAL ID that I really don’t have time to explain them all. I can assure you that I am actively working on getting it repealed. I am not a member of MECHA or LARAZA, but I am tired of having my rights violated by a government that has problems loosing hard drives, air planes, weapons and so on. So I don’t trust them with my id compiled into one database. I certainly don’t trust Mexico and Canada with it.

HELLO FELLOW ALIPACERS,

I DON'T CLAIM TO BE AN EXPERT ON THE REAL ID ACT. I CONTINUE TO BELIVE MY PREVIOUS STATEMENT IS GENERALLY CORRECT.

HAVE YOU FOLKS TAKEN YOUR CONCERNS TO SENSENBRENNER? TANCREDO?

I DO KNOW DRIVERS LICENSES IN SOME STATES ARE EASILY GOTTEN, IN FACT, SOME PEOPLE DROVE ILLEGALS TO CERTAIN STATES JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING A LICENSE. STATES' RIGHTS IS COOL UNTIL YOU GET STATES THAT PANDER TO OUR ENEMIES. REMEMBER, DRIVERS LICENSES ARE GOOD IN ALL STATES!

HOW DO YOU PROPOSE SOLVING THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM IF YOU DON'T SUPPORT A STANDARDIZED METHOD OF MEANINGFUL IDENTIFICATION? 20 MILLION ILLEGALS ARE ALREADY HERE? JUST SECURING THE BORDER ISN'T GOING TO WORK. THE ONLY REASON ILLEGALS ARE ABLE TO FUNCTION IS LOW STANDARDS OF ACCEPTABLE ID.

FURTHERMORE, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS A LOT OF INVESTIGATIVE KNOWLEDGE, THE MORE SERIOUS DANGER TO PRIVACY IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT BUT PRIVATE BUSINESSES. BELIEVE ME, PRIVATE BUSINESSES HAVE 100X MORE INFO ON YOU THAN THE GOVERNMENT. ALSO, PRIVATE BUSINESS HAS ALREADY GIVEN YOUR INFORMAITON TO FOREIGN COMPANIES...THAT HORSE IS ALREADY OUT OF THE BARN. DO I LIKE IT? NO!!! (I THINK IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL). IT'S ALSO PRIVATE BUSINESS FUELING THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MARKET.

DID YOU KNOW I CAN GET A SATELLITE VIEW OF YOUR HOME IN ABOUT 45 SECONDS THANKS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR (GOOGLE)? AND THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ABOUT ANYONE. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GREAT EITHER....VERY HELPFUL TO STALKERS, TERRORISTS, ETC.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT TECHNOLOGY, AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE MONEY OFF IT, HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH MURDER (IN TERMS OF PROTECTING OUR DATA/PRIVACY) AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO OUTCRY TO PUNISH THEM. A COMPANY CAN HAVE MILLIONS OF CUSTOMERS RECORDS STOLEN...AND NOTHING SEEMS TO HAPPEN, EXCEPT FOR A TEMPORARY SLIGHT DROP IN THEIR STOCK PRICE.

BEGIN SENDING THESE CORPORATE BAFOONS TO JAIL (WITH LONG SENTENCES), AND YOU WILL FIND THAT PRIVACY OF DATA WILL MEAN SOMETHING AGAIN.

I agree that private businesses have lots of information on their customers and that they sell this information to others, but you cannot compare that to the real id.

Here is why:

Because with any business you can opt-out of having your private information bought and sold. You are given an option. With the real id you have no option, you either take the card or you will not be able to drive, get gainful employment or receive social security benefits.

Because if you do not like a businesses practice of requiring intrusive information about you, you do not have to do business with that company. You have a choice.

With the real id you have no choice. If the Department of Homeland Insecurity requires a retina scan than by golly a retina scan you will have in order to obtain their real id, and so on.

I think you are looking at this in too simplistic of terms, not realizing how much power the federal government will gain from this nationalized database and how much more privacy we will lose.

When Hitler first started gaining power in Germany he didn't start out gassing the Jewish people (and others). Instead he started implementing his ideas slowly, in a way that the masses would quietly accept, it's almost like assembling a tower of blocks as you add one more block the tower becomes taller and taller until you are standing in front of a 20,000 foot tower.

As to your question about what to do about illegal aliens. Here are my solution(s):

1. Close the borders.
2. Enact an immediate moratorium on all new work and school visas for foreigners for let's say 10 years (a rough estimate).
3. Offer rewards for people who turn in the names and addresses of known illegals in the US.
4. Allow the police to enforce current immigration laws. Allow them to arrest illegal aliens. We are too bogged down with groups that receive millions of dollars to protect lawbreakers and allow them to stay in the United States.
5. Give jail time to employers who knowingly hire illegals. There are federal laws on the books for this, it's just not enforced.
6. Congress needs to pass an amendment to the Constitution so that babies born to illegal aliens are not automatically granted US citizenship.
7. Have the Social Security administration report duplicate or incorrect SS#'s to the Dept. of Homeland Security so they can investigate these matters.

I'm sure there's more, but this is a start.

Also, since illegals are getting phony documents and driver's license’s now. What's to stop them from counterfeiting the real id. And please don't tell me it can't be done. Criminals for years have always found a way to circumvent the law and they will continue to do so.

Lastly, if the farm industry and restaurants are not getting proper identification from the illegals now and having a lot of these people work off the books, what makes you think they will not hire an illegal who doesn't have a real id? Do you really think that illegals will not drive because they can't get a drivers license?

After all it is illegal (at least where I live) to drive without car insurance, but the illegals (and legals) still do that. It's just a matter of getting caught and most if not all are willing to take that chance.