Coalition attacks Real ID Act regulations

I hate siding with the ACLU, but here we are. I guess it's the stopped clock syndrome. They can't be wrong all the time. Although it seems like they are trying. But.... Back to REAL ID:

Forty-three civil liberties and consumer organizations have started a national campaign against the Real ID Act regulations issued by the Homeland Security Department because they believe the new identification system will have serious negative impacts on privacy and civil rights.

The campaign was announced Tuesday and seven additional groups joined today, bringing the total involved to 50. The purpose of the effort is “to stop the nation’s first national ID system,” the coalition said.

The groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, say they are worried about increased threat of counterfeiting and identity theft due to lack of security to protect against unauthorized access to the information on the ID cards....

“Under the act, states and federal government would share access to a vast national database that could include images of birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce papers, court ordered separations, medical records and detailed information on the name, date of birth, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, address, telephone, e-mail address and Social Security number for more than 240 million (people), with no requirements or controls on how this database might be used,” the coalition said.

Please, read more here.

Also, be sure to read this post by Mark Rhoads at Illinois Review: Crossroads of the Conservative Community.

There are people of good will on many sides of this debate who sincerely want to see the security of driver's licenses improved and other people who do not want see their privacy made more vulnerable to ID theft. Both opinions are valid and no law or set of regulations is going to please everyone so a brief time out is needed. Nothing has yet really happened. It has all been planning up until now. State motor agencies are doing their cost studies to find out what it will take to comply including of course the cost to hire new employees to verify birth certificates. They will have until the year 2013 to make sure that issues such as U.S. birth certificates, green cards, and other valid evidence must be used and verified before a state can issue a driver's license.

I will try to follow his further postings on the subject and enter the debate somewhat.

I'm curious as to why fellow conservatives are falling in love with big government.

A strange blend indeed.

I have yet to hear a good answer.

Believe me, I'm listening.