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Return to Article: Official: Critics of driver's license standards are off base

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  Last June the US DHS awarded a no-bid contract (backroom deal) to Digimarc for the drivers' license standard, and then failed to announce the contract in the federal register. Federal Acquisition Regulationn states that all contracts in excess of $ 25 K must be open to competitive bidding and announced in the federal register, but DHS wouldn't announce this contract b/c it was illegally awarded. Digimarc's website reflects when it received this contract, as well as shows in the press releases that by early July the Kremlin had rewarded it like it did with other credentialing program suppliers 2003-2005 for bribing the right people in the US to push the inventor of the smart wallet one more time from its forerunner spot based on merit. The Kremlin wants to control us and we haven't caved-in.

  Last 8/10 the White House Liaison to the DHS resigned. 3 days later Karl Rove was pushed overboard. In early October Deputy Secretary MP Jackson next was dumped. All these resignations were related to the DHS' selection of Digimarc's standard for the drivers' license. Chertoff and Baker knew if they carried-on where the 3 aforementioned left-off, that they would trade in their biz suits for orange jumpsuits. I did not panic and sell aft this drivers' license standards announcement, so not only is Baker going to jail, but he's not collecting his bonus from Vladmir Putin's operative! My company's experiences will begin to be made public when Brent Wilkes and Dustin Foggo are tried.

  Dawn Posted February 15, 2008 9:42 PM
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  I am addressing this to ACLU COUNSEL TIM SPARAPANI (SOPRANO)which declares that their are many privacy flaws, still in the DHS, especially on how states are supposed to protect driver information, which I belive he is referring to the information that each and everyone of us has to give just to see adoctor today, get a checking account at the Bank, power turned on, matter of fact mr(Soprano) is only wanting to see his name in print!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Watch out Sir, you may see DHS surprise you a you would have to eat your words, hard to do when you are the one with true LIP SERVICE SIR. I have a hard time reading these great comments from the peanut gallery when none can give a suggestion on how they WOULD FIX IT AND MAYBE SAVE THE NATION FROM ANOTHER 9/11.

  DD HORTON Posted January 26, 2008 10:40 AM
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  We currently have 8 states that issue drivers liscenses to illegal's some of which are border states. It obvious that a state ID means nothing so this is the only fix

  dan ketter Posted January 23, 2008 11:44 AM
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  We need to have serious identification in this country; it is long overdue. I hope that the administration pushes this on through as soon as possible. From what I have found, honest law abiding folks with nothing to hide have very little to fear about their "privacy" being invaded by the government. I can't help but wonder why some people are so concerned for privacy and why they fear the government so much. This was going on before identity theft became a big issue. I often wonder if all this desire for so much privacy from some folks has to do more with federal income tax laws, than a genuine concern for privacy. What are they hiding? I cannot wait until we have a strong secure national ID system in place. It is long overdue. The ACLU, terrorists, criminals, and others need to step aside so we can do whatever is necessary to protect this country, our people, and our way of life (a foolish sense of privacy that facilitates the acts of our enemies against us is not our way of life, at least not for honest people with nothing to hide).

  MarkS Posted January 23, 2008 9:36 AM
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  Why driver's licenses? Well, because the states(colonies)already have YOUR personal info. in their database. But don't tell that to the Leftist privacy nuts, who would rather risk a terrorist attack than identify the bad guys. Too bad we don't have time travel, I'd send them all back to 1776 for a week. Bet they'd be screaming to come back within two days! Anyway, if we can't use driver's licenses, or passports, or national ID cards, what is the solution. These so-called liberals whine about "privacy", yet they don't have any alternate solution to offer. Therefore, their opinions have NO value, IMO.

  ChristmasTree Posted January 23, 2008 9:32 AM
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  I worked in the WTC. I have a strong opinion on the need for meaningful identification. It's not what gets on the airplane or in the country so much as who gets here. I challenge Congress to implement a simpler solution.

  When you register for the draft you get a credit card sized citizen ID. You leave behind your fingerprints and photo, which are embedded in the bar-coded card. It shows your name, DOB and POB along with your picture. The cards are serial numbered and have anti-tamper features. If you are a LEGAL alien you can get one in a different color, if you are an ILLEGAL alien no card. DHS holds the data in TECS/IBIS and it is usable for land border crossing. It is your federal voter ID card. You show it to your employer to get a job. Employers report your card's serial number to the IRS as part of the data matching system. Resolve a no match in 90 days or lose the job. End the excuses of dishonest employers. Reregister at 30 and 45 and 65 when you go for Medicare. Each time get a new card with a new picture. No fee for the cards. If you lose a card you must pay a hefty replacement fee. If you want a passport you provide DOS with the serial number of your card, if you don't have a prior passport. Using someone else's card would be a felony with civil penalties included. If you are an alien with a counterfeit card make that a felony, but for simplicity include a civil violation penalty from CIS that mandates deportation with the same status as an aggravated felon and a civil penalty of up to $250,000. Anybody can use the card as ID, but only ICE can confiscate a card.

  I understand the 2 problems. First, you must register women for the draft. (Considering the per cent of women in the military and the necessity of having them there this is overdue.) Second, you must tell people that this will not force God to cause the apocalypse.

  The money saved in fraud alone would pay for this.

  Mr. Chertoff, if your listening this time, I have more details worked out and would be happy to share.

  Jim Kaley Posted January 18, 2008 2:39 PM
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  Charles T: You're off-post re this topic. But, just for the record, illegal immigration(infiltration)is a federal crime, as is assisting them. Illegal aliens have no legal rights in the USA, and the states(colonies)cannot construct laws/regulations that violate federal law, if federal law addresses the same issue. So forget the PC nonsense about those illegals.

  US Customs Senior Inspector Posted January 18, 2008 9:01 AM
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  Maybe I'm missing something, but I think this is a really good idea. How about we get to vote if we want something like this instead of having our states decide for us. I for one, would vote for it. Furthermore, I think that everyone is forgetting that it is not a right to have a drivers license, it is a priviledge, and I frankly feel that it should be tougher for anyone to obtain and keep a license.

  GW Posted January 18, 2008 8:34 AM
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  The Real ID is nothing but a means by which the federal government can place more controls over its citizens. We have lost privacy, states rights, our security, constitutional freedoms, all of it is gone, and this law and the other new laws to secure our persons are a farce. No one can secure our freedom but ourselves. When we give over our rights and freedoms for a promise of security, we lose the very essence of what it means to be an American with a constitution that guarantees the rights that our constitution guarantees. WE have to stop this nonsense and reverse the trend towards becoming prisoners in our own country, subject to the whims of a government agency and it's bureaucrats, an unresponsive legislature and an overbearing administration.

  Concerned citizen Posted January 18, 2008 7:45 AM
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  Driver licenses are issued by STATES to show proof that the driver is of age, has the knowledge, and eyesight necessary to drive safely and that he possesses the necessary insurance specified by the STATE . That's it! Nothing more! Every country with a working government has a system of issuing a PASSPORT -- a PASSPORT shows proof of nationality. If the government wants Americans to carry around papers like FASCIST and COMMUNIST countries require, then they should press for Americans to carry their PASSPORTS with them at all times. If our security apparatus does not know who the bad guys are, why should all the good guys carry around ID?

  frank Posted January 17, 2008 10:47 PM
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  What's wrong with establishing a different kind of driver's license for illegal aliens and foreign visitors similar to the international driver's license that you and I have to buy when we travel overseas and want to rent a car? This separate license would allow these people to drive automobiles and serve as a form of ID while still restricting their use for such things as voting and benefits.

  CharlesT Posted January 17, 2008 4:14 PM
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  This is easy to implement, let the ststes decide if they want to implement the regulation. Let it be handled like seat belt laws and drinking before age 21. If they opt not to comply the fed cuts off, all Federal funds linked to homeland security, cop funding, FAA, mass transit sunsidies etc.

  dan ketter Posted January 17, 2008 1:19 PM
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  When I check in at an airport away from my home state I would like it if the aitline agent could have aasurance that my id is valid. The id system is defacto federal in nature and requires national standards. How is anyone to know what a valid license/id for all of the other 49 states looks like? In the past (I don't know if this has been corrected) some states didn't even have pictures on their license. It's time to get over the "states' rights" issue - it was settled long ago (pre war of 1812) that interstastae issue are the provence of the federal government. The alternative is to hold my state license AND a national id, in addition to my local base pass, CAC, personal VISA, governemnt VISA, auto club card, TSP account card, my heath insurance card, my RX card, my wife's health insurance and RX card, blood bank donor id, calling card, warehouse grocery card, local grocery "discount" card, frequent flyer card, ATM card, ad infinitum.

  bill t. Posted January 17, 2008 10:31 AM
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  If the states need to tighten security on their driver's licenses, then the states individually, need to do that. No state needs to have a federal agency dictating to its citizens what they need to do about their state's drivers licenses. That is a state function. If my state wants to implement a method of controlling passage of people from other states, then we will implement control points with inspectors who examine each traveler's papers. If the federal government thinks it cannot control its borders (see story on Chertoff today), perhaps they should turn over that function to the states that control those borders. Since the federal government wants to issue federal travel papers to identify people who move around the country, then we do have a function for that and it's called passports. Perhaps what we need are controls at the state level. If a border state enforces lax regulations about admitting foreign citizens, then the states that object to that would have to check the papers of the people who pass through from that state. It would surely change the whole dynamic in this country but at least we wouldn't have the federal government agencies telling us what we will do and what we won't do. That gives the federal government entirely too much power over my day to day activities. An inch has become a mile.

  Concerned citizen Posted January 17, 2008 9:02 AM