In his letter (.pdf) to other governors, Schweitzer makes clear he's not going to ask for an extension.
"Today, I am asking you to join with me in resisting the DHS coercion to comply with the provisions of REAL ID, " Schweitzer wrote. "If we stand together either DHS will blink or Congress will have to act to avoid havoc at our nation's airports and federal courthouses."
And one "well said" for Bob Barr at the Washington Times:
While disingenuously professing no desire to "punish" citizens because the government of the state in which they live might not be ready to jump onto the federal government's Real ID bandwagon, Mr. Chertoff said this was precisely what the department would do.
In a refrain distressingly typical of how this administration routinely treats notions of federalism and individual liberty, last Friday Mr. Chertoff said, "The last thing I want to do is punish citizens of a state who would love to have a Real ID license but can't get one, but in the end, the rule is the rule."
In fact, the Real ID act rushed through Congress three years ago by the Republican majority in cahoots with a Republican president, presents serious financial and privacy concerns to the states; concerns that have not been addressed by our federal benefactors. The law details requirements for drivers' licenses if they are to be accepted for air travel or any other purpose regulated or controlled in any way by a federal agency or a federal law....
Unless this situation changes, it will provide yet another clear example of how both major political parties remain firmly under control of Big Government advocates.
I'm a conservative. I've always been Republican. But more important than "party" is "Constitution" and "freedom."
I apologize for this mess my own party created. But they made this mess by forgetting what we sent them to Washington to do--limit the government.
All I can say to the Republicans is, on this point, "You blew it guys. Fix it."
Please read the above articles in their entirety.
3 comments:
I emailed TN Gov. Bredesen this morning asking him to stand firm with Gov. Schweitzer. This is the reply I received:
Dear Laura:
Thank you for your message about the federal REAL ID initiative. I
understand your concerns about this program, and appreciate hearing
from you
On January 11, 2008, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security released the final rules pertaining to the "REAL ID
Act of 2005," which Congress passed as part of the "Emergency
Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on
Terror, and Tsunami Relief Act" (P.L. 109-13).
This federal legislation created national standards for the issuance of
state driver's licenses and identification cards. The act also
established certain standards, procedures and requirements that must
be met if state-issued licenses and IDs are to be accepted as valid
identification by the federal government for such purposes as
boarding airplanes and entering U.S. government buildings. These
standards are likely to affect the state laws, regulations and business
practices governing the qualifications for and the production and
issuance of licenses and IDs in Tennessee and in every other state.
They also will require substantial investments by both the states and
the federal government to meet the objectives of the act.
In the coming weeks the Tennessee Department of Safety will be
conducting a detailed review of the final rules in order to fully evaluate
the impact REAL ID implementation will have on our citizens. During
this time, officials at the Department will examine options that will
enable our state government to provide services that balance
homeland security concerns with public safety practices as efficiently
as possible.
As decisions are made about Tennessee's response to the REAL ID
mandate, you can be assured that the safety and security of
Tennesseans will continue to be the top consideration. Your
comments are important and will receive serious consideration.
Warmest regards,
Phil Bredesen
It sound to me like TN is going to cave and cave quickly. The only hope we have, if we want to keep living in TN, is to get Ron Paul elected President. He is the only candidate committed to stopping Real ID.
If he doesn't get elected I'll have to move to Montana.
Anonymous,
We definitely need to express our concerns at the state level.
Keep trying. Get a hold of your reps. and senator.
And we need to keep speaking at the federal level too.
Good job. You don't know what effect your email may have.
JR
Woops, I called you "Anonymous" -- I should have called you Laura.
JR
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