Tuesday, January 20, 2009

HR 140: EVIL CARROT OF HIGHWAY TERROR

WHAT IS HR 140?
To withhold certain highway funds if a State does not comply with certain requirements in issuing a driver's license or identification card, and for other purposes.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-140&tab=related
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In my work approaching State legislators, some of them are cowing down due to threats of losing federal funding for their Highways by hitching them to Real ID regulatory conditions (Yes, the exact ones you hate). Otherwise this is still a voluntary unfunded mandate; the same as it was when it was passed on May 11th, 2005. There is a federal bill out there, HR 140, very similar to the one which died last session without even entering committee, that dearly craves the public-private bankrolling from your identity traffic.  I assure you, that is what is driving it.

I find it highly ironic that 4 Republicans from the destitute state of California stepped up to try to move this forward. California is suffering immensely due to lack of State funds. Cali also had a garden variety of pan-partisan effort to drown HB 60, CA’s Real ID bill, when it came up for air last session -R.I.P.

So I take delicious glee in naming names of the federal traitors trying to bully a broke state into a place of reckless endangerment. The technologies are neither secure or affordable. Many needs go ahead of Real ID compliant licenses. Especially when most states have insituted secure license measures before the passage of the Real ID Act.

SHAME ON YOU!!!

Rep. Elton Gallegly [R-CA]introduced
Cosponsors [as of 2009-01-14]
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett [R-MD]
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher [R-CA]
Rep. Brian Bilbray [R-CA]
Rep. John Campbell [R-CA]

I think we can live without our nationalized ID with surveillance capacity. However, they are going to try to starve states into making it happen.

There are a couple of ways to tell them your State will not suffer from this coercion:

1)Contact your State’s federal legislators and tell them as a constituent that you cannot afford the comprehensive damages to your identity in this time of economic crisis and that you feel secure license technologies are available without volunteering for the Real ID license regulations. Ask them to oppose HB140.

2) Contact & fiscally support grassroots lobbies who understand what is happening, and will send someone to fight for you in Washington.

Wherever you are in the political strata there are those who will support your position. Here are a few who are working to curb Federal coercion on Real ID:

Center for Democracy & Technology
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
The American Civil Liberties Union
The Bill of Rights Defense Committee
The Stop Real ID Coalition

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