Defiance to real id develops in Montana

[buckthesystem]

Love this bit: "Montana's Schweitzer, a Democrat, complained that the Real ID law is another way for the federal government to stomp on residents' personal privacy. "Montanans don't want the federal agents listening to their phone conversations, rifling through their papers, checking on what books they read and monitoring where they go and when. We think they ought to mind their own business," he said in a written statement.

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http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/20.../45-montana.txt

Published on Sunday, April 22, 2007.

Last modified on 4/22/2007 at 3:40 am

Defiance to Real ID develops in Montana

By Stateline.org

WASHINGTON - Montana and Washington defied the U.S. government last week, enacting the first state laws to reject the 2005 federal Real ID Act and ratcheting up pressure on Congress to amend or repeal national standards for driver's licenses.

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer signed legislation Tuesday that bans the state's Motor Vehicle Division from enforcing the national rules, which set uniform security features for drivers' licenses and require states to verify the identity of all applicants.

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, signed a bill Wednesday barring that state from complying unless the federal government comes up with an extra $250 million to cover the state's expenses. The law also gives Washington's attorney general the right to challenge Real ID in court.

Montana's Schweitzer, a Democrat, complained that the Real ID law is another way for the federal government to stomp on residents' personal privacy. "Montanans don't want the federal agents listening to their phone conversations, rifling through their papers, checking on what books they read and monitoring where they go and when. We think they ought to mind their own business," he said in a written statement.

Gregoire in a statement said the Real ID Act "is another unfunded mandate from the federal government and, even worse, it doesn't protect the privacy of the citizens of Washington."

In all, 30 states have passed or are considering proposals condemning the license standards. State lawmakers have railed at the costs and deadlines imposed on states, at federal intrusion into what had been a state responsibility and the specter of a national ID card. But the Montana and Washington actions stand out as the first statutes to bar state agencies from participating in Real ID, which passed Congress without floor debate, attached to a 2005 bill funding the war in Iraq and international aid after the Asian tsunami.

Legislatures in Idaho and Maine have passed nonbinding measures protesting the 2005 act. Arkansas lawmakers have approved one resolution calling for Congress to repeal the act and another that asks for civil-liberty protections and full funding to meet the estimated $14 billion cost to states. None of those measures carries the weight of law or required a governor's signature.

Bills condemning Real ID have been approved by one chamber in another 13 legislatures and have been introduced in 12 more.

"When a state like Montana tells the federal government to take a hike, it brings down the whole house of cards. If there was ever any question that Congress would be forced to revisit this misguided law, there is no more," Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a prepared statement.

States have held out hope that the new Democratic majority in Congress will pay more attention to their concerns than the Republicans did. U.S. Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii and John Sununu, R-N.H., have revived a 2006 bill to repeal Real ID. U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, also has submitted a bill rejecting the act.

Real ID requires that all new and existing driver's license applicants present, and states verify, a form of photo identification, a document showing date of birth, proof of a Social Security number and a document with the name and address of the applicant.

All state-issued driver's licenses must include an individual's name, address, date of birth, gender, signature, driver's license number, a digital photograph and several features to prevent counterfeiting.

Driver's license bureaus would feed information into databases to verify applicants' identity, leading critics to worry about invasions of privacy and identify theft.

Cost also is a primary concern. State officials decry the act as a giant unfunded mandate. Congress has appropriated just $40 million for states to begin verifying and reissuing an estimated 245 million driver's licenses and identification cards.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in March said states could use 20 percent of their federal homeland security grants to help meet costs. But those amounts are just a fraction of the total $14.6 billion that the department estimates the law will cost states. In addition, the law will impose $7.9 billion in costs on individuals and $617 million on the federal government, according to homeland security figures.

Time is another problem, say states. The initial deadline to begin issuing compliant licenses is May 11, 2008, although states can apply for an extension until Dec. 31, 2009. That won't help, state officials counter, because all existing licenses still have to be reissued by 2013, so states that delay actually have a smaller window to meet the law.

Montana state Rep. Brady Wiseman, a Democrat and a sponsor of his state's legislation, said his colleagues were most concerned about privacy issues and Real ID's requirement to digitally store personal information and make that information available to other states. "We just didn't see the benefit here from going through all that rigmarole," said Wiseman, whose bill passed the Republican-controlled state House and Democratic-controlled Senate with unanimous support.

(for rest of article go to link)

[apothanein kerdos]

This is the first time in history that a Republican president and republican Congress increased the powers of the central government...all in the name of "security."

We need a smaller central government...and fast.

[ted]

Yup.

t.

[tired-of-fakes]

What we need is a government that actually abides by the Constitution! This act is ridiculous! It goes against both God given and Constitutiona rights!

[Axxman]

If democrats hate it...it must be a good thing.

Where do I sign up?

[buckthesystem]

If democrats hate it...it must be a good thing.

Where do I sign up?

You're not serious, are you Axxman? If you are you are taking things way too far, and walking straight into a trap.

Real ID is one of the most evil scams ever and is totally anti-constitutional. Not only democrats hate it, but you'll find, if you make some enquiries that a lot of Republican politicians hate it also.

Don't take my word for any of this, do some research. There are tons of sites on it. And as a Christian, you should be especially wary of it, as your religion will appear on the front of the card, and just as in 1933 as soon as Adolf Hitler came to power he introduced a national register which enabled him to define who were Jews and who were non-Jews, and we know what that gave rise to, when the antichrist's government rules the world, all this information, conveniently, be available to him.

[Oh Hamburgers!]

The Real ID always makes me think of the book 1984... spooky.

Real ID is a terrible idea in my opinion...and yes it violates pretty much every right to privacy that I can think of

[Axxman]

You're not serious, are you Axxman? If you are you are taking things way too far, and walking straight into a trap.

Real ID is one of the most evil scams ever and is totally anti-constitutional. Not only democrats hate it, but you'll find, if you make some enquiries that a lot of Republican politicians hate it also.

Don't take my word for any of this, do some research. There are tons of sites on it. And as a Christian, you should be especially wary of it, as your religion will appear on the front of the card, and just as in 1933 as soon as Adolf Hitler came to power he introduced a national register which enabled him to define who were Jews and who were non-Jews, and we know what that gave rise to, when the antichrist's government rules the world, all this information, conveniently, be available to him.

In all seriousness..and don't hate me for this...but I was just trying to rile you up a bit.

On the flip-side...I am not a constitutionalist. I don't believe in all these "rights" that so many people hold so dear. Now don't get me wrong...the "rights" are cool, and I don't necessarily want to live without them completely...but I don't really see them as God given or anything.

I do believe that the American Constitution is a good document, although the Bill of Rights kinda screwed it up. Ultimately, the Bill of Rights gives people the "right" to disobey God...and I don't necessarily like that.

Oh...and about Real ID...I don't mind them knowing about me, or my religion...I am not going to fall into the trap of "worry"...I cast all my cares upon my Father in Heaven. If I am to be a martyr for His name's sake, by putting my belief in Him on an ID card...then to God be the Glory!

[tired-of-fakes]

You're not serious, are you Axxman? If you are you are taking things way too far, and walking straight into a trap.

Real ID is one of the most evil scams ever and is totally anti-constitutional. Not only democrats hate it, but you'll find, if you make some enquiries that a lot of Republican politicians hate it also.

Don't take my word for any of this, do some research. There are tons of sites on it. And as a Christian, you should be especially wary of it, as your religion will appear on the front of the card, and just as in 1933 as soon as Adolf Hitler came to power he introduced a national register which enabled him to define who were Jews and who were non-Jews, and we know what that gave rise to, when the antichrist's government rules the world, all this information, conveniently, be available to him.

In all seriousness..and don't hate me for this...but I was just trying to rile you up a bit.

On the flip-side...I am not a constitutionalist. I don't believe in all these "rights" that so many people hold so dear. Now don't get me wrong...the "rights" are cool, and I don't necessarily want to live without them completely...but I don't really see them as God given or anything.

I do believe that the American Constitution is a good document, although the Bill of Rights kinda screwed it up. Ultimately, the Bill of Rights gives people the "right" to disobey God...and I don't necessarily like that.

Oh...and about Real ID...I don't mind them knowing about me, or my religion...I am not going to fall into the trap of "worry"...I cast all my cares upon my Father in Heaven. If I am to be a martyr for His name's sake, by putting my belief in Him on an ID card...then to God be the Glory!

The Founding Fathers believed in Christ and wished to create a skeleton for their free from tyranny nation. Unlke most of what is now put into law, the Constitution was built upon Christian morals. Yes, it was written by man but the Constitution has never caused any hurts. Its abuse, however, has.

[Axxman]

The Founding Fathers believed in Christ and wished to create a skeleton for their free from tyranny nation. Unlke most of what is now put into law, the Constitution was built upon Christian morals. Yes, it was written by man but the Constitution has never caused any hurts. Its abuse, however, has.

Whatever...

America was built on Tyranny. Ask your "Christian" founding fathers which christian morals they employed when they made treaties with native tribes in the Northeast and then slughtered them all. George Washington himself was responsible for making peace with numerous Iroquios tribes just so that they wouldn't expect it when he slaughtered them all.

From June to December, 1779... 40 Indian settlements were massacred and thousands of their plantations were devastated.

I don't harp too much about what these men did in founding the greatest nation on Earth...but to make them out as Holy Warriors of justice and Christiansity is insane.