Help kill the Surveillance State Bill

[Paul Lussier]

Thomas Charron <twaffle at gmail.com> writes:

> On 5/9/05, Paul Lussier <p.lussier at comcast.net> wrote:
>> Amazingly enough, this attachment has not been debated on the Senate
>> floor, nor has a single committee discussed it.  Chances are, most of
>> the senators have not even read the bill.  Because the main portion of
>> the bill includes things like appropriations to continue funding our
>> troops, it is though to be an "unkillable" bill.
>
>   But the bill really isn't all that 'bad'.
>
>   A) States already link their databases.
>
>   B) There's always ben lots of talk about how GREAT it would be to
> have your medical information, etc, linked to one of those strips. 
> Nearly ever modern licence already HAS them.

But the real problem is that the Dept. of Homeland Security is likely
going to be the one to drive the requirements, and they've already
stated several times that they want these to be RFID and remotely
readable!  I don't know about you, but I don't want anybody with an
RFID reader to be able to scan my information without my knowledge!

And, even if it's only a magstrip, I don't want the clerks at the
liquor store, or the store owners to have access to my identity that
easily.  Especially if it means they might suddenly realize they can
harvest this information and start selling it to marketing firms.

There is currently no provision in this bill to prevent them from
doing exactly this!  I'm not against national ID cards per se (well,
actually, I am) but if we're going to have them, at least let's a)
have a debate about it, both in Congress and nationally, and b) let's
not have it be a stupid bill.

>   In reality, all it does is up the standards on what the states need
> to do on *A LICENCE*.  Hell, a social security card is already a
> 'National ID Card'.

True, but I don't have to show my SS card to any cop who pulls me
over, or the 18 year old kid at the liquor store!

>   And the other argument about 'Well, now Illegal Immegrants won't get
> a licence..'
>
>   So, we want people here illegally to be able to drive..
>
>   Legally?

They can already do that.  I want crimaliens to be kicked out of the
country, but I'm funny that way.  I like to actually punish people for
breaking the law :)

This bill is bad because the ID card provision is being shoe-horned
into an otherwise good bill, and because there's been no discussion,
debate, or proper thought put into how to properly implement such a
thing.

-- 

Seeya,
Paul