Comments on: Senators skeptical of Real ID Act rules

Two years after voting for federalized ID cards, some politicians are having second thoughts about the rules.

[jefframse]

Skeptical of Real ID Act as Super ID Act

The advancement of technology makes any new ID card effectively a SUPER ID card with magnetic strip, computer chip etc... capability. Sure there will be careful limits placed upon the use of these cards in order to allow them to be established. But as sure as it has happened before, it will happen again that circumstances will change and the application of SUPER ID cards will also change.

Remember how it was promised that the Social Security numbers would never be used as a national ID number? Well, that is changed. Remember how the national income tax was passed over christmas vacation in 1913 partially on the promises that the new taxes would be very minimal and provide plenty of money to the national treasury no problemo? Well, things changed and the authorities utilized the tools in their hands for broader purposes.

Surely times will change again and the SUPER ID cards will be the tools in hand to use to meet the characterizably broader demands that will face us. I feel uncomfortable with what that means. If the government can feel uncomfortable with what could be out there and thus claim a need for or an expanded use for a SUPER ID card, then I say that I feel uncomfortable with what could be out there in the future by way of the government using the SUPER ID technology to track and control our lives.

Surely we citizens can face the challenges of our world with more backbone and determination! I'd rather not give up our "negative freedoms" of the individualistic rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And I'm all for providing some "positive rights" (either from government or private sources) like assuring food and shelter for all people also. I think we should try to do this without excessive government in our private lives. With the criminal element so powerful using new technology etc I feel that we should not limit the government's ability to meet that powerful criminal element of society with at least all the tools that the criminals use. Thank you for your consideration of my comments.

[trid2bnrml]

Skeptical of Real ID Act as Super ID Act

After seeing the Patriot Act I and II, and realizing the scope of what our own government will do with the tools we give them, I am unabashedly afraid to give them yet another tool to hammer away at my rights with.

They don't need this Real ID to make us safer from terrorists---some of the terrorists on 9-11 didn't even have any ID---so now what?

[jefframse]

Bid high then accept low: For coming debate

In the 2005 emergency spending bill the people who inserted the Real ID (read SUPER ID ) into it knowingly left out key limitations on its future application. The ACLU would prefer..."more flexible approach with stiffer privacy requirements, including encryption of card data and a ban on third-party use of the data". Without encryption or ban of third party use of ID data, the future debate on whether or not to have a SUPER ID would be blunted or shifted from whether to have it at all towards the question of how to make this be workable.

Surely the sponsors of this 'insertion' into the Spending Bill do not want carde blanche given to the SUPER ID card right off the bat. But they did bid high on first offer for it knowing that something less than whole hog would end up being getting it to stay on board! See. Now the bidding will bring it down to a social price that may be bargained for. Encryption and banning third party use of SUPER ID information will now be the compromise instead of an integral part of the initial presentation that would be debated solely on overall merit.

I feel it was not an even-handed the way it was inserted in the first place without restrictions to speak of. Rather it was a clever way to get it on board and to increase the likelihood of it hanging in there after the coming opposition to it. See.