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Some States Say National ID Cards 'Make Life Easier'

Posted by Zonk on from the that's-one-opinion dept.

VE3OGG writes "Some places, like Maine, have outright rejected the idea of a nationally mandated ID card amid privacy, legal and security concerns. On the other side of the fence some states, such as California and New Jersey, have said that they welcome the National ID card and that it will make 'life easier'. One New Jersey official said 'All you are getting in e-government for the most part are things that don't require strong two-factor identification,' the official said referring to security that requires something beyond a user name and password. 'But as we move forward and start to deliver more and more complicated services, I think that people for the most part will want to know their government has implemented strong measures [with National ID cards]'."

10 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. What happened??!??!? by BWJones · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Modern politics is just too bizarre. The Republicans used to be the ones who were for less government involvement in an individuals life, then the Democrats appeared to have taken up that flag, but now with the National ID card (papers please), both parties seem to be endorsing this movement.

    For all you extreme left wing whakos start hollering, think about this: How much longer will it be until we have to present a National ID card to take out a loan, open a bank account, cross state lines, and more? Already it is being proposed that you will not be able to board a plane unless you have a National ID card. So, what about those who can afford their own planes? Will they be allowed more anonymity than those with fewer resources? What about purchasing items like automobiles? Those who can afford to pay cash for an automobile in its entirety would be able to do so while those who have to take out a loan are again restricted to using a bank and thus the National ID card again. How about healthcare? Those that can afford to pay for services completely will not have to worry about health care insurance and therefore will not be tracked.

    Before any of you ultra-right wing neocon folks start bashing me for this, how about realizing that a National ID card will essentially enable all sorts of purchase related tracking to take place. You can now welcome federally mandated and controlled tracking and access to guns. For example, when other states decide to buy into the fear and make .50 cal rifles illegal, they will be able to track purchases of ammunition and deliver jack-booted thugs to your door to take you away, or at the very least, prohibit you from doing any business across state lines or within states that ban those rifles if politicians decide to play that game against individuals. You can also kiss any anonymity away when dealing with private corporations as the National ID card will enable any and all transactions through banks, individuals and more to be closely monitored.

    What happened to common sense and the political middle road?

    --
    Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    1. Re:What happened??!??!? by HomelessInLaJolla · · Score: 4, Interesting

      What they could do is make it a ticketable, even jailable, offense to be in a state without an indentification card for that state. Maybe they'll even ask vacationers to register with a national database. It'll have a web interface, and a dial up interface, and a teletype interface, so nobody can claim it isn't accessible. Employers will obtain special exemptions for their employees and scanning will be automated using the national ID card or the existing interstate highway toll booth automated payment systems.

      The offense, as with all offenses, will be selectively enforced and abused. If you appear to be a wealthy senior citizen driving a Cadillac you'll probably never be stopped for out-of-state plates. If you appear to be a young cruiser living life to the fullest, though, you'll probably be stopped for the equivalent of "you didn't use a turn signal with that last lane change". If you fail to look the officer directly in the eye then you're probably hiding something. If you do look the officer directly in the eye then you're trying to intimidate. Either situation can be construed as probable cause to check the ID and the national vacation database.

      Look. It's really not that far fetched.

      --
      the NPG electrode was replaced with carbon blac
    2. Re:What happened??!??!? by twbecker · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There is no question that the government needs to move away from Social Security #s as a means of identification. For most purposes you don't even need the stupid paper card! It's a fucking number for God's sake, how is that supposed to be secure? Having some sort of 2 factor ID mechanism is fine by me. The thing to argue about is what should we use it for, not whether or not it should exist.

      --
      "The problem with internet quotations is that many are not genuine" -Abraham Lincoln
    3. Re:What happened??!??!? by jxs2151 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I disagree with you....respectfully of course. I am no historian but I think that one will find that wherever an authority (government, dictator, king, Pope, etc.) has tried to exceed their authority, the people have awoken and mightily rebelled.

      Since we in the USA, have the means for a meaningful rebellion (compliments of the 2nd Amendment - thank you George Mason, et. al.) we can change our goverment should it decide to become too onerous. Since most people, rightfully, just want their lives to be peaceful and easy they simply go along with changes like we have seen in the past twenty or thirty years. The Founding Fathers, knowing the inevitability of despotism, built into our guiding principles the means of fighting our 'authority'. All that is needed now is a big enough single reason, or enough small reasons to do so. I believe that the National ID plan is yet another reason that brings us closer to the day when Americans will exercise their right to remove the oppressive authority and replace it with one that does their will.

      That is why I think schemes like the National ID card, along with an informed populace (via the Internet) actually bring us closer to the day of reckoning.

      Let's hope it leads there instead of a Brave New World.

    4. Re:What happened??!??!? by belg4mit · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You must forgive the GP, he's drunk the bottle labeled "The Market Can Do No Wrong,"
      mistaking this as an antidote to the bottle labeled "The Government Is Necessarily Evil."

      --
      Were that I say, pancakes?
  2. Identification cards by bradsenff · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have no problem with a centralized two-factor authentication card.

    I have SERIOUS problems with the "use your SSN for everything" society we have now.

    Give me a card that I have the ability to password/passcode protect, with a physical chip in it.

    Oh, and make sure it requires a friggin warrant to get the "logs" of its use. Warrantless searches make me sad.

  3. Life is easier for any Govt in a Police State by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    And the USA is fast becoming a Police State:

    http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/PoliceState.html

  4. It comes down to infrastructure by gbulmash · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If you were to dig down, I think you'd find that the level of resistance to the initiative is directly proportional to the cost of complying. Those states that have more modernized digital systems that they could more easily adapt to comply are going to be the ones that resist least.

    There is an element of states' rights here, and the federal government has become larger and more intrusive into the afairs of the states than the original framers of the Constitution intended. The original colonies, when they formed a federal republic, were very conscious of reigning in the power of the national government and how much influence it could exert over the states. Over time, the independence and self-determination of the states has been constricted. So for some states, this could be a line in the sand over principle. But for most, I suspect, the real issue is expense.

    - Greg

    --
    Start a happiness pandemic
  5. Look North by subl33t · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Gang members, mafia, etc. don't typically buy their guns from licensed vendors. They either steal them or buy them under the counter from someone else.

    THis is one of the main gripes a lot of Canadians have against the federal gun registry, which, after over 10 years and BILLIONS of dollars has yet to be fully implemented, and has done nothing to lessen gun crimes.

  6. Our current system uses birth, driving, retirement by neo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is anyone else weirded out that a piece of paper Certifying your Birth, your License to Drive and your Social Security card are the main means of identifying you? It's all cobbled together in a strange and nasty web of connected requirements. I need all three to get a Passport, but then I can't use my Passport to get a Driver's license.

    Now logically you should be able to get one from the others.

    But I digress.

    I know we all fear the national ID number... but we already have it. If you have a passport, it's that. If you have a SSN, it's that. Driver's license? These are all ID. If you Nationalize ID's, then we can put limits on what they can and can't be used for, but right now these other numbers are unprotected. Take your SSN and post it as a reply and you'll see what I mean.