2014 > 2013 > 2011> 2009: Which is it?

I've been watching the news, as I usually do. I consider myself one of the lucky ones to live in a state that has filed an extension or has out and out defied the Real ID unfunded mandate. Something I have noticed as time blows on is the delay to implementation is being cut back by about between 3 and 5 years depending on which state you live in.

May 11th comes soon enough for those who feel that Real ID is a national ID card masked by state rhetoric. Michael Chertoff, during his many speeches on Real ID, admonished the public to not procrastinate on the ID "for our security", well aware that legislation like this often gets buried and forgotten so that states and public do not have to comply.

It's time to bite back.

It's time to start putting names with faces, meaning this: find the supplier to your neighborhood DMV and ask them who will be providing the technology and databases for the implementation. Then do some homework on finding out who is handling their lobby's locally and who's doing their lobby's in Washington. From there you, you start publishing letters to the editor, about how much of your taxes are going to pay for this expensive intrusion into your privacy. I suggest starting with these folks : Coalition for A Secure Driver's License . They claim responsibility for getting this legislation moved up in the Washington heirarchy. Where there is smoke there is fire. GET THEIR FACES ATTACHED TO POLITICIANS AND CALL THEM ON THE MAT! They hate being found out.

ACT NOW!! : ACLU Real ID Petition

I have just read and signed the petition:

"Stand Firm Against the Privacy-Violating National ID Card"

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/549332544

Please go there and add your name to the list.

Texas Real ID extension until Dec. 31, 2009

NOTE: Beat the Chip. org frontpage goes live between now and tommorrow. I will be on the air tonight between 6 and 8 PM CST on We The People Radio Network (www.wtprn.com) discussing the May 11th deadline for implementation and why Texas is so important to the politics of Real ID.

Wouldn't you know just in time for Valentine's Day came an official document per the officical status of Texas Real ID extension issued a document, " that the Department of Homeland Security has granted your request for an extension of the compliance date until December 31, 2009. "

We also heard back from theDepartment of Public Safety's spokeperson, Tela Mange on the matter of a budget concerns and which tech contractor would be getting the money for the ID:

"We have not finalized the budgetary impact based on the release of the final rule. The extension does not affect the budget. The Texas legislature will have to address both the statutory changes as well as the budget in the 2009 session. We currently contract with Digimarc for production of licenses and have contractual authority to amend that contract to include possible Real ID changes. Real ID is out of the contractual scope for the current contract we have with Bearingpoint (software). "

The other problem with RFID licenses

Here you go. It's allready started. States expected to keep massive databases on hand to verify that you are who you say that you are, can be hacked into by identity thieves. Then you have the second problem of people like this guy above, taking matters into his own hands, and frying his chip, which state governments have to pay for. What are they going to do? Make them go get another one? Let's not forget that tech-savvy people always outmode expensive cumbersome bureaucractic techonolgies, becuase it's fun and they can!!

Funding the mandate and your state..

Ok.. It looks like the list of things to do if you're an anti-REAL ID activist is to find out which tech companies are wooing your states DMV. You have to know your Who's Who in Department of Motor Vehicles and you need to find out who is delivering the deadline for compliance and implementation. You may have as soon as mid-month to get an extension for your state to find funding for the federal mandate. You may have until March 31, '08. To make thing's somewhat easier CNET.com has a state information map that posts updates on what your state is planning to do with your tax money.

It's time to ask the questions: "How does the government expect us to pay for all of this and who is getting our money?"

EFF : More from Electronic Freedom Foundation

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/02/cnets-real-id-vs-states-series-covers-looming-showdown

February 6th, 2008

CNET's "Real ID vs. the States" Series Covers Looming Showdown Related Issues

Privacy issue overview, blog posts

Real ID issue overview, blog postsPosted by Richard Esguerra

This week, CNET launched its four-part series covering Real ID -- the dangerous federal plan to create a national ID card that presents a massive threat to citizens' privacy, among other critical flaws.

The REAL ID Act was signed into law in 2005 and forces states to standardize driver's licenses in a way that turns them into a national ID. In January 2008, the Department of Homeland Security announced a set of standards to fulfill the vague mandate passed by Congress, but were met with opposition from a broad stable of parties -- beyond the long roster of privacy organizations and consumer advocates, the House Committee on Homeland Security, Senator Patrick Leahy (Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee), and a number of other key members of Congress spoke out against the regulations.

So far, the CNET series has been comprehensive in its coverage of the issue, describing the complicated timeline; showing which states have assented to, wavered on, and bravely opposed the costly federal mandate; and depicting the chaos facing travelers and citizens across the

TEXAS: When did you file your extension?

It's been a big day for Beat The Chip. I paid a friendly neighborhood visit to the Austin capitol, stopping in for a visit to the Secretary of State's office. I kindly asked the woman working the desk if she knew if Texas had filed an extension for the Real ID Act. She said she had seen the paper passed through the office and was almost completely sure that an extension had been filed for the state of Texas. I then asked her when it was filed and how long the extension was to last. While she searched for information, she mentioned that it was expected increase the cost of a local driver's ID by $25, ad libbing that it was expected to be in effect until 2011.

So what makes an extension relevant?

Unfortunately, the Real ID Act was passed as what is known as an "unfunded mandate" from the federal government. Which means states will be held responsible for the costs of implementation and compliance with the Real ID. The next step in my progressive investigation is to get a budget dollar amount that will be demanded from the people of Texas and the breakdown of when it will be due. From that we may get a tidal wave of outrage; it's bound to cost this red-state more than it ever wanted to pay in taxes.

I began to glance around the office. I spied a framed picture hanging in the S.O.S. gallery of former Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales. Apparently he was Texas' Secretary of State from 1997-1999. Dark appalling images of waterboarding and random Guantanamo visual flotsam drifted across my mind as I patiently waited for the information. I cracked a smile upon recalling the voice of MSNBC's Keith Olberman comparing Gonzales' mind to a rusty contraption.

The woman at the desk snapped me out of my reverie announcing her find of public information from the web and then pointed me to Texas Governor Rick Perry's office. Then settled on a grassy spot on the capitol lawn and made calls to the governors office. After being kicked around from one official desk to anonther I landed at the Texas Homeland Security office. First, speaking to Ethel who was more than a little reluctant to give me any public information on any dates or information about the Real ID extension. She asked me where I was located. She asked me who I was. I said I was a constituent(true) and that this was public information. She gave me partial information and then expected me to scuttle on to Chief Judy Brown's Office, Department of Public Safety.

Note: The Department of Public Safety runs the issuance of Driver's licenses. It is an office separate from the one where you register your vehicle. Upon learning that Texas doesn't have a Department of Motor Vehicles, I understood that the perception of "security" in this state has a lot of "special interests". So it didn't suprise me to find that Texas had a homeland security division with the charge of making sure the rules of the DHS were kept. However, they did pass the buck time and again to possible reluctant DPS, Chief Judy Brown. According to Gretchen Ethel at the Homeland security office, Chief Brown has until the end of February to sign a "committment to implementing the Real ID". This would make the third compliance related deadline that I have heard in a week. Who is telling the truth? The one I was given from the ACLU said that it was as soon as March 31st. I asked for a specific date from Ms. Ethel, none was given, because ol' Gretchie said she didn't have it.

I called again to get more answers, this time speaking slowly and deliberately for the Governor's office reception area. I was put through to Jim Harrison's office, whom I was told was out of the office for the day by Ms. Ethel.

"Who gave you my name?" said Harrison.
"Oh someone at the desk at the governor's office," I said remembering the revolving switchboard of desks and repeating my question over five times before being levied finally onto Ethel.
"Oh. Well those people down there don't like me anyway."

A homeland scurity officer unpopular at the Governor's office in Austin, TX? Austin is only home of 3 Libertarian radio stations, Ron Paul's 2nd largest national following and Alex Jones's syndicate... ;)

He said that he had stepped back in his office and was now available to speak to me about Real ID. Harrison said that Homeland security was responsible for the rules of law {possibly enforcement} for the Real ID and that the development of the budget for the whole of implementation on this affair was on DPS. Yeah yeah..make Judy Brown the bad guy, right DHS? DPS has to come up with the budget, but DHS knew of a possible vendor for the technology, who would get the grandiose Texas Real ID contract bid.

I asked directly maybe I can get those answers soon. Harrison said he would send word on the exactitude of Texas' extension, whether or not that implies or condones complicity, and what it will mean per the implementation of rules for the Texas Department of Public Saftey. TO BE CONTINUED...

PREVIOUSLY...

On Febreaury 5th I recieved an e-mail from the ACLU regarding Chief Judy Brown, whom was said to be gone for the week in regards Real ID. Later that day, Rebecca Bernhardt with ACLU of Texas got back to me saying that no extension had been filed for the state of Texas, that legislation was largely undecided. I wasn't really altogether sure. Which led me to test that notion today.