`We'll take number': S.C. just said no
Posted on Wed, Feb. 13, 2008
Observer Forum: Letters to the Editor
`We'll take number': S.C. just said no
"We'll take a number" (Feb. 8 editorial) fails to adequately address the "new federal requirements intended to improve national security" that will likely "make those waits even longer" for N.C. driver's license applicants.That new barrage of red tape won't strike South Carolinians, whose legislature has passed a simple and constitutional measure stating, "The State shall not participate in the implementation of the federal Real ID Act."
Because the states haven't delegated the authority to mandate how drivers' licenses are issued, the Big Brother-inspired Real ID act violates the 10th Amendment. What a shame North Carolina's legislators failed to stand up to this latest D.C. power grab.
Michael C. Tuggle
Charlotte
http://www.charlotte.com/opinion/story/491149.html
DMV Computers Down...Again
DMV Computers Down...Again
by John H. Smith, Raleigh Chronicle 12.FEB.08
RALEIGH - According to people trying to get driver's licenses, the Department of Motor Vehicles computer system is down again, causing delays.
"We've been waiting here for three hours," said one driver at a local DMV office. "We've already done everything we need to do, we're just waiting on the computer."
The driver's license offices were already sending people home who came into the office to get a license because of the computer problem. Many people have to take a day off from work to get their licenses renewed, due to long lines.
"I've had to take a half day off to come down here," said one driver. "Now since we're waiting on the computers, I'm having to take the whole day off."
This is the second time this year that North Carolina drivers have experienced major delays in getting their driver's licenses.
On January 7th, the DMV announced that driver's licenses would not be available for a couple of days due to computer database problems.
North Carolina drivers should go ahead and expect major delays in the future in getting their licenses. North Carolina is one of 37 states that are participating in the federal REAL ID system, which is a national identification card effort that will be used to track American citizens.
Homeland Security officials have said the cards would be needed to enter federal buildings, board airplanes and buses, buy cold medicines, and any other purpose deemed necessary by the Homeland Security Administration.
As a result of the new program requirements, starting on July 1st, NC drivers will not be able to receive their driver's licenses on the day that they visit the DMV office to get a renewal. The cards will be sent in the mail to drivers several weeks later after the renewal.
http://raleigh2.com/
Using War to Promote Biometrics
February 12, 2008 at 10:52:34
Using War to Promote Biometrics
by Marti Oakley Page 1 of 1 page(s)
http://www.opednews.com
Tell A Friend
http://www.biometrics.dod.mil/
Reading from this site, you could come to the swift conclusion that biometrics was one of those “good thingsâ€
Chertoff defends 2009 budget request
Chertoff defends 2009 budget request
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has given his testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, to defend the continued increase in budget demand, as seen in President Bush’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Some of the budget demands have direct impact on the identity industries, and here we summarise some of the achievements to date and the budget demands for 2009.
The total FY 2009 budget request for DHS is US$50.5 billion in funding, a 7 percent increase over the FY 2008 enacted level (excluding emergency funding). The Department’s FY 2009 gross discretionary budget request is US$40.7 billion, an increase of 8 percent over the FY 2008 enacted level excluding emergency funding.
Accomplishments
Chertoff highlighted five priorities his department had established in 2007 and detailed the progress that has been made toward achieving them. He also highlighted the work still to be done and how much each request would cost. These five priorities are:
* Goal 1. Protect our Nation from Dangerous People
* Goal 2. Protect our Nation from Dangerous Goods
* Goal 3. Protect Critical Infrastructure
* Goal 4. Build a Nimble, Effective Emergency Response System and a Culture of Preparedness
* Goal 5. Strengthen and Unify DHS Operations and Management
This article does not list all the accomplishments and demands, but only the ones of relevance to the security document and identity industry. A list of relevant accomplishments includes:
* Secure Documentation Standards: Compliance with secure identification requirements for air travel under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) has exceeded 99 percent since implementation in January 2007. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for WHTI land and sea requirements was issued in June 2007 and final rule implementation is expected in June 2009.
* Enhanced Driver’s Licenses: The Department signed agreements with the States of Washington, Vermont, New York, and Arizona to enhance the security of their state driver’s licenses and to potentially satisfy REAL ID requirements or serve as alternatives for entry at land and sea borders.
* Better Biometrics: Ten-fingerprint collection from international visitors has been deployed by CBP at nine ports of entry, and will be implemented at 278 other ports of entry by the end of 2008. This upgrade from two- to ten-fingerprint collection will enhance security and fingerprint matching accuracy, improving the ability to compare visitors’ fingerprints against latent fingerprints collected from known and unknown terrorists around the world. US-VISIT, the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Coast Guard have partnered on a pilot fingerprint collection at sea program near Puerto Rico, resulting in 114 prosecutions and a 53 percent reduction in migrant flow.
* Credentialing Port Workers: Since October more than 70,000 port workers have enrolled in the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) biometric credential program. More than 750,000 longshoremen, truck drivers, port employees and others requiring unescorted access to secure areas of ports will also be required to obtain a TWIC card.
Budget requests
Following on from the accomplishments, Chertoff also outlined various budget requests. Again here we list the requests relevant to the security document industry:
* Western HemisphereTravel Initiative: A total of $140.0 million is requested for CBP’s implementation of infrastructure and technology in support of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). These funds will complete the infrastructure improvements at the top 39 Land Ports of Entry, covering 95 percent of the land border arrivals.
* Vetting Infrastructure Improvements: An increase of $30 million is requested to support TSA’s Vetting Infrastructure Improvements, providing screening and credentialing of individuals requiring special access to U.S. transportation and other critical infrastructure. These funds will enhance and stabilize the infrastructure necessary to perform vetting operations on populations that access our most critical infrastructure.
* US-VISIT: A total of $390.3 million is requested for US-VISIT. This funding will complete the transition from two-print to ten-print collection. Taking all ten fingerprints will improve accuracy and allow us to increase the number of matches from latent prints captured all over the world. This funding also allows US-VISIT to continue to provide biometric identity services to law enforcement and intelligence, and it will help complete interoperability between US-VISIT and FBI databases.
http://www.identityloop.com/government-id/i/177/
Real ID Act a Real Intrusion On Rights, Privacy
Real ID Act a Real Intrusion On Rights, Privacy
By BOB BARR
12/02/08 "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" 06/02/08 -- - -With the announcement last month by Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff of the final implementing regulations for the much-delayed Real ID Act, the debate over this thinly veiled national identification card project moved into high gear.
The federal government for several years now has been fighting a guerrilla action with citizen groups and a number of state legislatures over imposing on the states and the citizenry this privacy-intrusive and costly mandate. With the announcement Jan. 11 of the final regulations, the debate is fully joined and pits those who support the principle of states’ rights against the legions of Big Government advocates.
Big Government advocates are personified by the current Bush administration, favoring central control of virtually every facet of activity in our society, from education to transportation and from the plumbing in our bathrooms to the bulbs in our lamps. While the Real ID debate shares some elements with its sister debate concerning voter ID, mixing the two as if two sides of the same coin dilutes the host of fundamental constitutional concerns and responsibilities affected by the Real ID Act program now being forced down the throats of the states.
Let’s leave aside for the moment the underlying federalism question — where does the federal government get the power to dictate to the states who can get a driver’s license? — to focus on civil liberties that would be undercut by the Real ID Act.
If, as proposed in the law, a person must have a Real ID Act-compliant card in order to access a federal building, access any regulated or interstate mode of transportation, or obtain any federal benefit, then we have surrendered to the federal government (that is, federal bureaucrats) the power to deny citizens all manner of activities guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Consider:
* A person not possessing a Real ID Act-compliant identification card could not enter any federal building, or an office of his or her congressman or senator or the U.S. Capitol. This effectively denies that person their fundamental rights to assembly and to petition the government as guaranteed in the First Amendment.
* A person seeking to exercise their right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment could henceforth be denied that ability if they do not possess a precious Real ID card, because the federal bureaucracy known as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives probably will decree that such a form of identification is necessary to meet federal requirements for purchasing a firearm.
* Very possibly the Real ID card will be required in order to vote in any election for federal office.
* A veteran may be denied access to a VA hospital because he or she lacks the requisite Real ID card, perhaps because they did not have the money required to purchase it or because they could not locate the background forms the Department of Homeland Security required to obtain one.
* A business traveler, unable to afford to travel by private jet, is denied the ability to make a living because their job requires air travel and they do not have a Real ID card — even though they demonstrably pose no danger whatsoever to their fellow travelers.
* Even though individual states, such as Georgia, may provide greater legal protection for private information of its residents than other states or the federal government, this will mean nothing in the Real ID Act world, because all the data under that law will be subject to the lower federal standards, thereby subjecting residents to a higher likelihood of identity theft than they would risk under the laws of their state.
* And, they would have no recourse to correct erroneous data, or prevent identity theft pursuant to the Real ID regulations.
On the other side of the ledger, arguing in favor of this intrusive and expensive federal mandate, are hollow promises of “securityâ€
Re: `We'll take number': S.C. just said no
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp_48504
Posted on Wed, Feb. 13, 2008
Observer Forum: Letters to the Editor
`We'll take number': S.C. just said no
"We'll take a number" (Feb. 8 editorial) fails to adequately address the "new federal requirements intended to improve national security" that will likely "make those waits even longer" for N.C. driver's license applicants.That new barrage of red tape won't strike South Carolinians, whose legislature has passed a simple and constitutional measure stating, "The State shall not participate in the implementation of the federal Real ID Act."
Because the states haven't delegated the authority to mandate how drivers' licenses are issued, the Big Brother-inspired Real ID act violates the 10th Amendment. What a shame North Carolina's legislators failed to stand up to this latest D.C. power grab.
Michael C. Tuggle
Charlotte
http://www.charlotte.com/opinion/story/491149.html
Whether or not REAL ID is constitutional or not has yet to be decided by the courts.
But in any case, citizens of states that do not have a more secure form of ID will not be allowed into some public buildings or allowed to board public transport such as aircraft. Perhaps that might also be challenged in the courts by the ACLU, but I think it will withstand all court tests.
Complying with the demands of the federal Real ID Act
February 17, 2008 - 6:25PM
THE ISSUE
Complying with the demands of the federal Real ID Act
POINTS OF DEBATE
This national ID card evokes shades of Big Brother; it will be a burden to law-abiding motorists
THE STAR’S VIEW
The Real ID Act will place unnecessary burdens on
law-abiding residents; it should be repealed
Later this year, the state of North Carolina will begin complying with federal government demands by doing its part to participate in a national identification card system.
It is scheduled to occur in December, when the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles will begin following the requirements of the federal Real ID Act.
To us, this national ID card evokes shades of Big Brother. It’s unnecessary. It’ll be a burden to law-abiding motorists. And at worst, it is ripe for abuse and fraud.
The Department of Homeland Security argues that Real ID doesn’t amount to a national identity card. The feds argue they aren’t collecting the data on American motorists, nor are they maintaining the database.
This merely shows that the folks at Homeland Security don’t understand the concept of something being six one way and a half-dozen the other.
No, they aren’t issuing the card. The states are doing it for the feds. And, no, the data won’t be kept in Washington. Instead, it’ll be stored in computers in 50 state capitals across the country.
The sharing of information in the databases puts Americans at an unnecessary risk for those who would misuse the information contained there.
The American Civil Liberties Union even goes as far as to say that having all of the information accessible to a sinister person would put driver’s license holders more at risk for identity fraud.
Supporters say the Real ID Act is a necessary measure in an age of terrorism. Others believe that having such requirements for a driver’s license will cut down on illegal immigration.
We question whether it will do either.
Terrorists will know the rules. And, in the past, they have demonstrated the ability for great patience in planning and carrying out their horror.
As far as immigration is concerned, we believe it is an issue that needs to be resolved by Congress. Thus far, Washington has failed to have the courage to deal with the situation.
And not having a license doesn’t necessarily mean those who are in this country illegally will go away, or even stay off the roads.
What the Real ID Act will do is place unnecessary burdens on law-abiding residents. Over the next few years, as motorists trek to the DMV to renew their licenses, they have to prove their identity all over again.
They may have to tread through bureaucracy to get documents, such as a certified copy of their birth certificate, to satisfy the DMV. They’ll have to take copies of deeds or utility bills to the DMV to prove their residence. And they’ll have to wait for up to 20 days for their driver’s license to come in the mail.
For many, that won’t be enough. They may have to make a trip to the Social Security office to get information straightened out so it will match with DMV records.
The ACLU says Real ID will become a real nightmare. We think it will prove to be a real hassle.
Congress should repeal this act.
http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/real ... _card.html
North Carolinians Against Real ID
North Carolinians Against Real ID
North Carolinians Against Real IDis a grassroots effort by We the People of North Carolina to stop the Real ID. We are comprised from all walks of life. Many members are proud U.S. Veterans. Others are grand parents, mothers, fathers, members of the clergy, business owners and on on.
Our Plan is a simple one. We will contact and educate every one of our Legislators until they understand the costs and privacy concerns when it comes to the Real ID. Furthermore, once we have educated them, we want legislation passed to stop all compliance of the Real ID Act and any databases that include biometric and other personal data required by the Real ID Act to be removed.
We want a secure driver's license, but creating a national id card is not the answer. Many states were already in the process of securing their drivers licenses before the Real ID was voted into law as part of a massive military spending bill.
http://www.ncard.info/
Backlash mounts against REAL ID
Backlash mounts against REAL ID
By Brad Bumsted
STATE CAPITOL REPORTER
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
HARRISBURG -- Republican and Democratic state lawmakers are teaming up to oppose the federal REAL ID program, claiming it creates a national identity card that poses a threat to personal privacy.
REAL ID "is a terribly invasive new government tracking system being implemented here in Pennsylvania and across this nation, without legislative approval and certainly without public knowledge," said Rep. Sam Rohrer, a Berks County Republican known as one of the Legislature's most conservative members.
Rohrer and Rep. Babette Josephs, a liberal Philadelphia Democrat, are sponsoring a bill that would block REAL ID in Pennsylvania.
The House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee plans public hearings on the issue Thursday in Philadelphia and March 13 in Pittsburgh.
story continues below
"It's an issue that hits home" with many Pennsylvanians, said Jerry Shuster, a professor of political communication at the University of Pittsburgh. "I think people believe any information the government has is too much."
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Congress enacted legislation to establish a national standard for driver's licenses. The idea was to create tamper-proof licenses that terrorists couldn't replicate.
Gov. Ed Rendell's administration is reviewing Homeland Security regulations, and the governor is concerned about the costs of implementing REAL ID, his spokesman Chuck Ardo, said.
Although opponents of the idea worry about privacy invasion, proponents say creating a high-tech version of state driver's licenses would help prevent identity theft.
But Rohrer and Josephs counter that hackers could break into the database to steal identities.
"The potential for identity theft is gigantic, unbelievable," Rohrer said.
The program enacted by Congress would use high-resolution facial photography, which critics fear could include iris scans for personal identification. States would share the data electronically, which Rohrer and Josephs say would create a "national database" of personal identities.
The REAL ID program was included in a federal defense spending bill approved in 2005 without public hearings.
Rohrer argues the federal program infringes on states' rights and requires states to spend billions of dollars without adequate federal funding.
"It's aggressive. It's on a fast track," he said.
Pennsylvania has until Dec. 31, 2009, to begin complying with REAL ID. States must begin issuing IDs by May 11, 2011.
The Department of Homeland Security in recent testimony to the Pennsylvania Legislature insisted REAL ID is not a national ID card, and said the federal government won't have access to any more personal information.
Seven states have acted to refuse using the REAL ID card. Montana was the first to revoke the program.
"We recognized that REAL ID was a major threat to the privacy, constitutional rights and pocketbooks of ordinary Montanans," Gov. Brian Schweitzer said recently.
In states fighting the program, residents won't be able to use driver's licenses as identification to board airplanes or enter federal buildings. They would have to show passports or other identification acceptable to Homeland Security.
The odd political marriage of Rohrer and Josephs in Pennsylvania is mirrored at the national level, with liberal groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union working against the program alongside conservative organizations such as the American Center for Law & Justice, which was founded by evangelical preacher Pat Robertson.
Rohrer and Josephs have 68 co-sponsors on their bill, including House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene County.
Josephs said she opposes REAL ID not just because of the expense and the national database she worries it will create.
"It's going to make getting your driver's license so inconvenient. It'll take hours to get it," she said. "There is no evidence, no reason to believe, it will make us safer from terrorism."
Grassroots rebellion?
Twenty-one states went on record to oppose REAL ID last year. In seven of those states -- Georgia, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Washington -- legislatures enacted laws banning state implementation of REAL ID, which critics say is a national identity card.
Idaho enacted legislation appropriating "zero" dollars in 2008 to set up the program.
PennDOT has awarded a $45 million contract to prepare for issuing REAL ID. States must begin issuing the cards by 2011.
Two bills are pending in the Pennsylvania General Assembly to block REAL ID:
Senate Bill 1220, by Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon County. View it online.
House Bill 1351, by Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks County. View it online.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 53097.html
REAL ID . . . REALly For Illegal Aliens
REAL ID . . . REALly For Illegal Aliens
By Juan Mann
Be careful what you wish for.
The REAL ID Act, advertised as preventing states from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, is now the law of the land.
REAL ID has all the right enemies. The Treason Lobby has denounced it as preventing "many drivers" from obtaining licenses.
But this is the truth: the REAL ID Act still contains loopholes big enough to allow truckloads of illegal aliens to get valid temporary state driver’s licenses.
This driver’s license language first surfaced in the former H.R. 10, but was purged from the final 9/11 "Intelligence Reform" bill. The language reappeared as part of the supplemental appropriations bill for the Iraq war that was signed into law by President Bush on May 10.
The federal requirements for state driver’s license and identification cards are scheduled to go into effect three years from now—May 10, 2008.
The final REAL ID bill still contains its most precious much-resisted language: preventing the acceptance of "any foreign document" as a stepping-stone to a state driver’s license. It prohibits the use of the Mexican government’s infamous "Matricula Consular" card…although unfortunately not for three years. So expect a "get ‘em while you can, Amigos" campaign by the Mexican Consulate sometime before the May, 2008 deadline.
Who can still get a driver’s license under the REAL ID Act of 2005? [H.R. 1268, 109th Congress (2005), [PDF] (see pages 81-85)]
Here’s who:
"(B) EVIDENCE OF LAWFUL STATUS- A State shall require, before issuing a driver's license or identification card to a person, valid documentary evidence that the person--
(i) is a citizen or national of the United States;
(ii) is an alien lawfully admitted for permanent or temporary residence in the United States;
(iii) has conditional permanent resident status in the United States;
(iv) has an approved application for asylum in the United States or has entered into the United States in refugee status;
(v) has a valid, unexpired nonimmigrant visa or nonimmigrant visa status for entry into the United States;
(vi) has a pending application for asylum in the United States;
(vii) has a pending or approved application for temporary protected status in the United States;
(viii) has approved deferred action status; or
(ix) has a pending application for adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States or conditional permanent resident status in the United States."
That sure covers a lot of foreign nationals getting state driver's licenses! But here’s the part about temporary licenses that makes for most of the loopholes:
"If a person presents evidence under any of clauses (v) through (ix) of subparagraph (B), the State may only issue a temporary driver's license or temporary identification card to the person."
In fact, of course, the United States citizens in group (i) are the only people listed in the REAL ID Act who absolutely, positively do have permanent status in the United States. All of the other categories cover foreign nationals whose legal status in the United States is subject to revocation or expiration. (Yes, I do realize that United States citizenship can be renounced—but it’s rare.) There is nothing "permanent" about "lawful permanent residence" or any of the legal status of aliens listed in the so-called "permanent" groups (ii), (iii) and (iv) either.
Here are the immigration loopholes for the foreign-born groups (ii) through (ix):
bullet Any of the aliens in groups (ii) through (ix) could be convicted criminals or illegal aliens currently in removal proceedings, which means they are supposedly on their way OUT of the United States. But as readers of these columns know, Immigration Court hearings and appeals before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) can last virtually forever: . . . assuring them plenty of time to enjoy their "temporary" driver's license.
bullet Mexican border-crossing card (BCC) holders are technically eligible for temporary driver’s licenses under REAL ID group (v)—(“non-immigrant visa statusâ€