36 Federal Laws Waived by DHS

In April the Department of Homeland Security waived the following federal laws to expedite construction of a 30 foot border wall fence to the US and Mexico. The Real ID Act gives discretionary authority to Secretary Chertoff  to waive the following acts.

The National Environmental Policy Act

The Endangered Species Act

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act)

The National Historic Preservation Act

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act

The Clean Air Act

The Archelogical Resources Protection Act

The Safe Drinking Water Act

The Noise Control Act

The Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Acr

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

The Archaelogical and Historic Preservation Act

The Antiquities Act

The Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

The Farmland Protection Policy Act

The Coastal Zone Management Act

The Wilderness Act

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act

The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act

The Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956

The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

The Adminsitrative Procedure Act

The Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999 Sections 102 (29) 

Section 103, Title I of the California Desert Protection Act

The National Park Service Organic Act

The National Park Service General Authorities Act

Sections 401(7), 403, and 404 of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978

Sections 301(a)-(f) of the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act, The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899

The Eagle Protection Act 

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

The American Indian Religious Freedom Act

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act

The National Forest Management Act of 1976

The Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Act of 1960

Views from DHS Insiders ; 5-11 Campaign Press

Do you see the hidden irony in Jim Toroks artwork? 

*L -I-A-R

Does this sentiment look familiar?  DHS is telling you "Things are okay."  

READERS: What are your thoughts? Please comment on the corresponding forums:

Homeland Security is notorious for adding a "for your security" claus right before they strip you of some element of freedom.  Usually these are freedoms you actually need to go about your natural way of life as an American.  The corresponding sentiments from DHS ring to the tune of, "Things will be more secure - more okay- if we do it this way."

Bad news kids : 48 states went for the Federal Grants for Real IDs.   Part of the conditions for accepting federal monies is that the States are in full submission to the Real ID implementation policies. They accepted the "okay-ness" of Real IDs for your state.  Again - this happened while you were going on with your life.  We have a high maintenance government who is behaving badly.

You can ask your state to reject the federal funding for Real Ids.

Jim Harper, a DHS insider explains his point of view:

"Were there ever any doubt that Real ID was a national {now confirmed International} identity system and a step toward cradle-to-grave, government- mandated biometric tracking, Family Security Matters has helped clear that up."

The blogging friends of the DHS deliver a positive report on the "effectiveness" of carding flyers at airports (6/23):

"We're 48 hours into the new procedure and things have been smooth so far.  Approximately 650 people have shown up to security checkpoints without ID and a total of 20 people have not been allowed to fly. That is .0005 percent of the approximately four million people that flew this weekend. "

Way to go? I'm curious about the 20 people who didn't get to fly.  Were they bad people or did they just insist on invoking their civil rights on not having to show their papers to fly. For those who visit the link here you will see some of the responses people left.  Among the gems (typically from Anonymous posters) :

"If they get a pat-down and bag check, who cares if they're on their way?  This is the point you continually ignore as you lie to us about the "supposed" security this nonsensical policy change provides.  In fact, you know as well as we do that this new policy does nothing more to make anyone safer, and by diverting resources from things that WOULD make us safer, like screening cargo, actively makes us less safe."

Missouri:  A reluctant target for Real ID implementation  

Missouri is the first stop for the Real ID electronic network in America.   Missouri is not so enthusiastic about the $17 million  development of AAMVA's Real ID hub,  but they still get to wear the"guinea pig"name tag for this development.  Whoopee. Yay.

Missouri Rep. Jim Guest, head of Legislators Against Real IDs,  will be speaking on Derry Brownfield's show, July 3rd - 10:00 AM (CST) about what an electronic hub in Missouri means for the rest of the US .  You can catch the show online at GCNlive.com  

DHS also passed out $1.2 million in government cheese to states Florida, Indiana, Nevada, and Wisconsin willing to road test Real ID's.  Nevada and Wisconsin fought against allowing state funding for the implementation of Real IDs.  Florida and Indiana have not filed any resistance whatsoever in the development for Real ID's.   

Other "5-11"end states are Washington and North Carolina.

What does it mean to be "5-11"ened?  Please check out Carol Broulliet's radio program, Questioning War, Organizing Resistance - Hour 1: Katherine Albrecht &  Jim Guest ,  Hour 2 : 5-11 Campaign speaks  

DEAF TO A HEARING

US Supreme Court Shuts Out Environmental Contingency

"We will not sit idly by while our property is seized by the federal government to build an expedient but useless, expensive and potentially damaging wall across the Texas-Mexico border," said coalition president Chad Foster, mayor of Eagle Pass.  "We are determined to stop Secretary Chertoff from acting as if he is above the law."

Texas, USA - Apparently Supreme Court justices are both deaf and blind in the Constitutional review of facts surrounding the border fences in Texas and DHS waivers tied to The Real ID Act of 2005.

AP reports here:

McALLEN, Texas (AP)-- A U.S. Supreme Court decision paving the way for a 670-mile fence along the U.S. - Mexico border drew swift criticism from environmentalists, who promised to make another legal stand in Texas.

The justices' turned down a plea Monday to hear a lawsuit opposing a two mile section of the fence in Arizona brought by the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife.  

The section of the fence in question in that case has already been built and even if the court had taken the case, oral arguments would not have been heard until October.

But Monday's decision could have the most immediate implications for Texas, where opposition has been most widespread and fence construction is expected to begin next month.  :: FULL STORY HERE::

Please hear from the Sierra Club,  the Defenders of  Wildlife and 5-11 Campaign: Texans Against Real ID's  on KOOP's Shade's of Green Show with host Ken McKenzie,  July 3rd  @ 1 PM (CST) .

US Supreme Court Plays "Deaf "  :: FULL STORY HERE:: 

F MINUS: AAMVA Gets ID Hub Contract

THE NETWORK HAS A PARENT: AAMVA

c/o Homeland Stupidity Blog

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators received a no bid contract worth millions of dollars to implement a "verification hub" connecting state and federal databases under the Real ID program.

AAMVA, which already maintains a database of commercial drivers in every state, was believed to be the company that would get the contract for the verification hub which, when completed, will allow states to electronically verify documents such as birth certificates and Social Security with other states and with the federal government.

The database begins with a $17 million REAL ID Demonstration Grant awarded to the state of Missouri, which will then pass on that cash to AAMVA to do the actual work of developing the system.  Four other states, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, and Wisconsin, received $1.2 million grants to be the first states to connect to the new database. ::FULL STORY HERE::

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BTC Commentary:  AAMVA is now responsible for your SSN# and birth certificates should you surrender them to the DMV for "federal purposes".   You should know at this time you can request a NON FEDERAL ID if you are going in to renew your license.   We also happen to know that AAMVA is a self-professed "information clearinghouse".   Which means they will release the information they have to whomever is buying in BULK.    It's here - THIS is the network that is documented as insecure and prone to identity hacking.  Don't be stupid. Don't give your Social to AAMVA.

Digimarc Has Got Your Money

80 Million Tax dollars is on Digimarc

C/O Trading Markets.com

More than 58 million has been awarded to support state-specific programs to achieve Real ID material compliance, which involves updating state driver's license and ID card systems with extra security features.  Funding was also provided for the development and testing of the verification hub, which will enable all states to verify applicant proof-of-identity documents.

Digimarc provides products and services that enable the annual production of more than 60 million personal identification documents, including two-thirds of US driver's licenses and IDs for more than 25 countries.

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BTC Commentary - Comments? Anyone? Anyone? Post beneath this article.

80 million dollars..  I wonder if someone who loves freedom will just buy out Digimarc's contract, so DHS can go deal with some other issue that directly affects our national security.  That would be, opposed to creating a situation that has the potential to criminalize those without proper  federal IDs.   I know many of  the Free Market minded people have some kind of monetary excesses.  Maybe if we pony up like 120 million collectively and say "DIGIMARC- We'll pay you NOT to do business with DHS on Real IDs,"  - they may just lose interest in Real ID's.  I'm not sure what DHS will do if that happens.  You can call your State's head of Motor Vehicles to find out how much money will be paid from your state to induct you into the New World Order's cattle-log by simply asking for the amount of money going to Digimarc.  If they are not telling, get someone with a Law Degree to ask your question with an Open Records Request-  the paper sodium penenthol for bureaucrats. We have ways of getting the truth.

This is about money, just like every other aspected pursuit of American "happiness".     If we don't want Digimarc doing this - DHS will find some other way.  They will probably outsource the work to somewhere (US  Homeland Security ) for digital securities that require our social security numbers, address, your age,  your gender and other cute things like your hair color, your eye color and a neat 3d  profile of your face. 

No wonder everyone hates us.  Why are we so special?  The street kids in Mumbai don't get a cool 3D face profile.  What the hell is that about?  Some 15 year old constructing our surveillance chips in a clean room somewhere in Southeast Asia has an exam to prep for. Why the hell are we making his life difficult with Real IDs?  HAVE SOME COMPASSION!

The concern here is that Homeland Security  will cut corners here and behave like any other corporatized element of our government.  If it's a boring dirt job that can be done without paying an American a living wage, it will be shipped overseas and someone else will be doing it.  It may be too much to ask Homeland Security to do this themselves.   We do in fact know that the technologies used are being constructed and tested in fun places like Pakistan.   Which may eventually mean that your SSN# , address etc will be handled  by some other person in another country for Homeland Security.   In a rational mind, this defeats the purpose of calling it  "homeland security".  More research is needed on where the inventory of your identity records will land after DHS funnels it through the DMV.  If it's outside the borders of the US, what is the fundamental drive behind you having this national ID?   Ask now before you surrender the keys to your identity to the DMV. 

New and IMPROVED!! DHS throws $$ at Real ID Mandate

Real ID - REAL UNPOPULAR : DHS Digs Deep to Make it Happen

Unfunded mandate.  Two words ringing in the ears of DHS, who sincerely believe that funding is the only problem with moving Real ID forward.  The grain of truth to this is that only 5-7 US states have not filed any legislative resolution to block Real ID's passage, primarily due to lack of state funding.  The moment of truth has arrived in the fight for US privacy;  the DHS is now making a way to feed the greedy bellies of government contractors, Viisage/L1 Technologies and the other Big Brother, Digimarc with the 2008 Real ID Demonstration Grant Program. Even with the grant program - which isn't all that much-  I think states are onto something in the ambition of keeping the money away from DHS on this one.

Put Up or Shut up: Life in post Iraq-recession

Escalating gas and food prices, costs of living and the declines of the housing market have left American's and their states sadly hurting financially.  DHS has run afoul of growling state taxpayers unwilling to fork over the network start-up costs of hundred's of millions of dollars to finance the new world order- uh, I mean new WORLD CLASS - IDs.   More calculating state governments made "license revision" budget requests in previous legislative sessions.  When federal regulations were released for Real IDs in January 2008, the wheels were oiled to move forward with implementations for your new 3D face prints and radio frequency ID chipped licenses. If you live in one of these states, more fighting is ahead against implementation.

If you have a problem with this, go press these people and tell them to STOP IT.  They are the ones pandering to the DHS so identity thieves can just feast on all the means you have to be who you are with the great new insecure technologies YOU are paying for.

The problem?  Broadcasters don't get to discriminate on who gets their message.  Radio Frequency ID chips to be found in some Real IDs can be picked up by anyone with a UPC gun -a fact frequently posted on this blog.  Joe-Identity-Thief doesn't have to do much to get your information out of the DMV databases either. The ACLU has been fighting hard to stop the finance of any feature that leaves American IDs open for the unique exposures we are staring down right now with current DHS regulations.

It also appears that our government is currently obsessed with getting your picture in 3d. That's also a little unnerving.  They need to relax.   The contensions with the FISA wiretapping nonsense and the FEMA-Halliburtons secret prisons may cause you to think maybe our government doesn't really think we can run our own show without them.    What has the average American done, except pay taxes, that requires THIS MUCH surveillance? Most Americans are waking up to the new McCarthyism.  Today, when I hear the word "terrorism" from a public official all I hear is :"You are now losing more of your American born freedoms- now pay up!" I digress..

Real ID's mean more controls at airports and at federal facilities.  If TSA gives you the heebie jeebies, you can fly general aviation.  However, this is a symptom of the problem: the DHS making irrational demands on your American identity;  not because they really need to know about you flying out for your heart surgery in Des Moines.  It's about having to answer to them about that.  You didn't do anything wrong.  

Hey US government - this goes both ways - you question us : we question you.  We are all American's here, but there is a line. Real IDs cross that line.  The 5-11 Campaign exists because an overindulged corporate oligarchy stepped in and made a decision for us and was passed without public input or states vote in HR 1268 - brought to you by G.W. Bush Inc.  Now we have a duty to ourselves to stop you from moving this forward.

Real ID Reformers : Ron Paul vs. Bob Barr

Many political reformers in todays election climate are reaching for issues they believe will philosophically ally themselves with the people.   For the time being, party politicians adding a 5-11, or an Anti-Real ID issue, to their stump platform are among the Green Party, Ron Paul Republicans and The Libertarian Party. Each has a unique approach to representing the public on this issue.

In Texas, the Green Party voted on Saturday, June 14th to add a 5-11 "stump" to represent any Texan wanting to take a stand against Real ID's while voting for their party.  It didn't make it to the official stage for a vote, but it was handed off for approval in an amendment platform for latecomers.

While Ron Paul's Presidential Campaign ended, a chasm as large as the Grand Canyon is felt between Paul's supporters and McCain's kind of Republicans.  Many Ron Paul Republicans (some actually registered Libertarians) are at odds with many of the positions of Libertarian Party Presidential Nominee, Bob Barr. 

Here's an exerpt from THIRD PARTY WATCH's website in the crucial juxtaposition of Dr.Paul and Bob Barr on Real ID.

RON PAUL: "We must stop the move toward a national ID card system. All states are preparing to issue new driver's licenses embedded with "standard identifier" data - a national ID.  A national ID with new tracking technologies means we are heading into an Orwellian world of no privacy.  I voted against the Real ID Act in March of 2005." 

BOB BARR: "Big Government advocates are personified by the current Bush administration, favoring central control of virtually every facet of activity in our society, from education to transportation and from the plumbing in our bathrooms to the bulbs in our lamps.  While the Real ID debate shares some elements with its sister debate concerning voter ID, mixing the two as if the two sides of the same coin dilutes the host of fundamental concerns and responsibilities affected by the Real ID Act program now being forced down the throats of the states.

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BTC Commentary:  Ron Paul clearly dictates a descriptive plan of action - the other clearly gives an editorial of what the state of affairs is with no concrete position or plan of action.  This leaves Ron Paul Republicans and Libertarians in a valley of indecision, now that Paul's campaign has ended.

BeatTheChip contacted Bob Barr's campaign about such a plan of action, due to the known uproar amid party members caused by Barr's nomination as the Libertarian general election Presidential candidate. While local chairs were apologetic, offering a concrete point plan of representation on Real ID, Barr's campaign offered a publicist with more of the same Op-Ed approach to action. She has not gotten back to us yet.

If that is any interpretation of what is ahead, Bob Barr will expound on the Libertarian complaint responding with press engagement, lack of action and even less supportive voting records.  

In essence, unless we report otherwise, Bob Barr has no real plan to deal with Real ID's - stopping them or to "Barr" spending with States.   

Please keep checking back for position reports from other party politicians willing to make government move against Real IDs.