It's always gratifying to post your thoughts in a blog and then see it validated somewhere else.
A few weeks back, I shared my thoughts on why the Real ID Act was a really bad idea. In a recent edition of GCN, columnist William Jackson offered similar opinions to mine.
In his commentary, Jackson makes these important points:
- The Real ID Act is an unfunded mandata
- While the deadline for implementation is May 2008, Homeland Security still has yet to release compliance regulations for the Act
- The Real ID Act requires interconnected databases of personal information on each of the 245 million people receiving cards, with absolutely no safeguards on the data or how it can be used
- The Real ID Act was passed without that debate - it was slipped into a spending bill that provided relief funding for troops and tsunami relief
While 25 states are either urging Congress to repeal or reform the law, only Maine has actually passed a resolution refusing to comply.
I agree with Jackson - the issue is not what can be done to delay or reshape the act, as some in both the House and Senate are attempting to do, but, is a national ID advisable at all?
We all must understand - this is legislation that has passed. Without action, it will be implemented in just over a year.
No one should let that happen...
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