Maine revolts against digital U.S. ID card

[MORTARDUDE]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070126/...sa_idcard_dc_1

BOSTON (Reuters) - Maine lawmakers on Thursday became the first in the nation to demand repeal of a federal law tightening identification requirements for drivers' licenses, a post-September 11 security measure that states say will cost them billions of dollars to administer.


Maine lawmakers passed a resolution urging repeal of the Real ID Act, which would create a national digital identification system by 2008. The lawmakers said it would cost Maine about $185 million, fail to boost security and put people at greater risk of identity theft.

Maine's resolution is the strongest stand yet by a state against the law, which Congress passed in May 2004 and gave states three years to implement. Similar repeal measures are pending in eight other states.

"We cannot be spending millions of state dollars on an initiative that does more harm to our state than good," said Maine's House Majority leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat, in a statement that called it a "massive unfunded federal mandate."

The ID act sets national standards for licenses which will have to include a digital photo, anti-counterfeiting features and machine-readable technology.

States will have to verify documents presented with license applications such as birth certificates, Social Security cards and utility bills, and will have to link their license databases so they can all be accessed as a single network.

States also will have to verify that a person applying for a license is in the country legally. States will be able to issue separate credentials to illegal aliens so that they will still be able to drive.

The National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators said in a September report that the law would cost states more than $11 billion over five years and take at least another seven years to implement.

"It's a national ID card on steroids," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Technology and Liberty Project. "This will indeed be a real nightmare.

But backers say the driver's license -- a primary means of identification in the United States -- is fundamentally insecure because of widespread identity theft.

Some 227 million people hold drivers' licenses or identity cards given out by states, which issue or renew about 70 million each year.

[reconeil]

"Fail to boost security and put people at greater risk of identity
theft.",........REALLY??????????????????

So then, and since obviously quite the opposite will occur in both
instances,...are Maine Lawmakers just not-dealing-with-full-decks
or just plain stupid?? Or,...are they both nuts & stupid?

Neil :cd: :cd: :cd:

[Seascamp]

Not mentioned in the argument is the cost of not knowing exactly who is here, their intensions, or the cost of entitlement program fraud that is an absolute monster of corruption now breaking surface. All things being on the same playing field, the identified are getting the crap-end of the stick and the unidentified are getting the gravy. Maybe, and in fairness, everyone should go unidentified and get in on the gravy and preferential treatment.

Possibly Maine isn?t being drained by welfare fraud, unearned social freebees, etc., etc., or is not willing to open the books to the real cost, and balance a ?sure n? certain vote captive audience ? against what amounts to favoritism toward an unidentified culture at the expense and what is tantamount to discrimination against the indigenous identified unfortunates paying the freight.

It appears that Maine is the place to be for the unidentified to go. Right now, just do it, daylight is a wastin, Maine or bust, eh, adios. They can have all of that they can handle, and presumably the citizens of Maine are really up for the influx of the unidentified and all the joys that come with such an acquisition.

Scamp

[39mto39g]

This guy is right and wrong in the same statement.
We need a national ID card. and the Drivers License security sucks.
Just about every system in our government is outdated and insecure and sometimes just stupid.

I'm not sure even where to start,
The SS system should be scrapped. It was never meant to be a retirement system, Make the people put what money they give to SS , Give it to mutual fund.

Income tax rates are stupid. the more you make the more you pay.?
It should be a consumer tax and at a given rate, then everyone pays the same and those that don't belong in this country also pay.
Close the IRS department and all the tax loop holes along with it.

Stream line all, let me say that again ALL government agencies, form county government to Federal government. Theres no reason to have more county and state employees in Road Island than residents.
Double the size of all counties for a start.

Why is there a FBI, CIA, NSA department, aren't they all on the same side?


And on and on.

[reconeil]

Given all the additional, ongoing and existing realities you
brought up (Never mind an: "Influx".), such should make all The
American Citizens of Maine wonder just whom their lawmakers
are ACTUALLY concerned about and/or ACTUALLY representing?

Sure-as-hell doesn't seem like Maine Representatives are
ACTUALLY representing: "Mainers" or even U.S. Citizens,...for that matter?

Hey,...maybe a lot of New Jersey Politicians moved up to Maine?
Such would explain much.

Neil

[Keith_Hixson]

I don't think Maine is so concerned about security issues. The Real ID Act is what we in political circles call and "Unfunded Mandate" When I was on the city counsel and a mayor I hated "Unfunded Mandates." That's when the State or Federal Government tells the local government they must implement a certain program with the benefit telling them just how they are to fund the program. In smaller communities with limited budgets and I suppose the same could be said for smaller states like Maine that don't have a large financial base an "Unfunded Mandate" can bring terrible havoc on their budget. Just reading through the thread its sounds like their complaints are more financial than security. Probably a legitimate concern for a small budget state like Maine.

Keith

[MORTARDUDE]

neil :

I really try to understand you, but I must say that it is real difficult. I worked for the IRS for 32 years. I was in the Information Technology trenches ( computer work ) the whole time, save for 6 months. I know what another layer of federal bureaucracy will do. I could go thru the list of agencies that do a half-ass job now... IRS, INS, Homeland Security, and on and on....

This idea is BS. 'Nuf Sed.

Larry

[reconeil]

Well,...if you want to put security and legitimacy on a financial
basis, I figure that even for Maine 185 million bucks are pretty-much
chump-change,...if compared to no doubt THE BILLION$ already
costing The State & USA for illegitimate or illegal foreign nationals already there.

The cost in Lack of Security from Maine & USA can't YET to be determined?

Neil

[MORTARDUDE]

Neil....

Why are all the undocuneted aliens running around in the first place ? Duh. You think this BS "national ID" system will stop it. The answer is HELL NO.

Larry

[reconeil]

What: "Idea B.S."?
Are you objecting to a legitimate and tamper-proof National ID,
just like Dems, Kennedy or ACLU types?

Hey,...maybe since you no longer work at: "Agency", new things
might actually work well and better than before?
Hey again,...and besides this is wartime and we're under attack.
Understood?

Neil