The fear following 9/11 was used to justify all sorts of unconstitutional government powers. Pennsylvanian valiantly fought off one of the worse examples, called Real ID. But eventually, our state capitulated under federal pressure. Real ID was created in 2005 by Congress and the Senate. Supposedly improving security, Real ID is a database that is under Federal control, and required that state date, like driver’s licenses, comply with the Federal system.
Three things tell us that this government power grab has nothing to do with “real Security”:
1 – Nine requirements must be met to obtain a state-issued Real ID. These include a legal name, date of birth and gender, a driver’s license or substitute, digital photo, current address, signature, and some security built into the ID that can be machine read. Yet Federal IDs like Military and Passports are valid as Real IDs, without all of these requirements.
2 – Many states have resisted this intrusion and the federal government has granted extensions for over 12 years. Initially 25 states passed laws refusing to comply and as many as 42 objected. But most have capitulated and, as of May, 47 states and territories have complied and the other 9 have been granted extensions. Pennsylvania is one of the extensions. It is now scheduled to go into effect for Pennsylvanians in October 2020, as Governor Wolf and the PA state legislature finally surrendered. Obviously, if Real ID provided security, we would never have seen these endless extensions.
* The best part. Federal ID (like military) and passports are valid Real
ID replacements, yet all 9/11 hijackers were in the US legally and had
valid passports. They also would have easily been issued valid Real
ID driver’s licenses had such been available back then. In other words,
this so-called security measure would have done nothing to prevent 9/11.
What is this government overreach costing us? PA budget estimates that
the initial cost to taxpayers is $24-30 million to put the system in place,
$26.3-$28.5 million for the first year of operation, and $17-$20 million every
year after. Annually you will pay an additional $30 over the regular license
renewal fee and, anytime you change your address you will presumably need a new
one. The cost to the Federal government will certainly be much higher.
We do, however, get shiny new ID cards, and we get to convey personal and state rights over to a central government with an unimpressive record of personal privacy. It is political theater, it is a loss of personal and states rights, and it is bad for us. The costs are both short-term in terms of dollars and longer term with regard to the further tilting of the balance of powers further toward the federal government.