Concordia res Parvae Crescunt
by State Sen. Mike Folmer (PA-48)
Every federal and state-elected official took an oath to uphold the U.S. and Pennsylvania constitutions. It is imperative those in public office start taking these oaths seriously, beaÂcause each day that goes by, more and more of our rights and freedoms are being lost, and government’s appetite for collecting personal and private data continues to grow.
I believe the most egregious example of government overreaching into personal lives is the federal Real ID Act. Designed to protect Americans in post-9/11 society, Real ID would create a national identification card. Proponents of the act believe Americans should be stripped of essential liberties for the greater safety of the country.
The federal government says this plan will protect Americans from terrorists. I disagree. I believe it is a clear violation of the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, redefining privacy as we know it, and creating a mountain of new bureaucracy and increasing fees and taxes — all without making us any safer.
That is why I have reintroduced legislation (Senate Bill 621) that would exempt Pennsylvania from compliance with this unfunded federÂal mandate. Eleven states, including South Carolina, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana and Virginia, have already enacted similar statutes.
If Pennsylvania were to comply with REAL ID, in January 2010, driver’s licenses would become a standardized national identification card with a machine-readable zone containing valuable personal information. PennDOT would then be required to link into a massive naÂtional database, opening the door to the possibility of major security breaches.
In addition, transportation departments would retain digital scans of identification documents, including birth certificates and Social Security cards, for at least 10 years or seven years for a paper copy.
I understand the threat Pennsylvanians face on our own soil, but under REAL ID, that vulnerability is magnified times 50 and leaves us all exposed.
REAL ID also threatens privacy rights by empowering the Department of Homeland Security to collect biometric data, including fingerprints and eye scans, as well as placing Radio Frequency Identification chips in every American’s driver’s license. A proposal by State Sen. Shirley Kitchen, D-Philadelphia, Senate Bill 623, would prohibit government bodies from capturing or releasing biometric data without an individual’s approval or knowledge and prevent a slippery slope toward rights being stripped away.
Other requirements of REAL ID that take law-abiding citizens down a dangerous path are: what confidential data can be collected from driver’s licenses; where and how long it can be stored; and who is authorized to obtain, share, trade or sell that information.
With one swipe of a license, an establishment can collect your personal data and use it for marketing purposes. State Sen. John Wozniak’s, D-Clearfield, proposed legislation (Senate Bill 622) would restrict information that can be made available from driver’s licenses for marketing or other purposes beyond law enforcement.
If we don’t exempt ourselves from REAL ID by the end of 2009, we are in real danger. This act is a major violation of Americans’ right to privacy and another example of the federal government overstepping its boundaries with the states — all with an anticipated unfunded federal mandate cost of $11 billion to already financially strapped states.
The assault on our right to privacy must end. Together, this package of bills can slow the increased flow of data in our daily lives.
Mike Folmer [send him email] of Lebanon, Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania State Senator who represents the 48th Senate district, which includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster Counties.
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That's a great quote, Jenni - thanks for posting it!
P.H.Lives - while that's a great theory - it's not historically correct - Johns depiction of the future in Revelation was just that - the future, and this mark was to be accepted to buy or sell in the world system. That was not true in Roman times. I'm not sure about your dispensation of scripture; however, I've never ever heard this in all the years of being churched by two of the most popular orators and Bible expositors of our time. No offense to your belief system - but when I tell you there's databases and networks being built that would allow for real time scanning of RFID or barcodes anywhere in the world, it's the truth - I do it for a living. . . Please reread Revelation.
REAL ID does not create a national ID card. You need to get your facts straight. It enhances security features on the current STATE ISSUED driver's license. There are no RFID chips in the card. Those chips have been used in your passports for years.
No offense intended, but the whole mark of the beast stuff is frivolous. The mark of the beast was a cryptic reference to Nero Caesar, who launched the first imperial persecution of the church. His name when turned into Hebrew (NRN QWSR) adds up to 666 - See article here: http://www.preteristcentral.com/prev-page.htm
Blessings,
While there are many reasons we can focus on the whys of the national ID card infringing on our rights - the primary concern should be the MARK of the beast - with a little technical modification, you can include your Debit card, CC information or an RFID on the ID card - this will make it easier for you; carrying one card vs. 5 is easier! The globalist have been trying to achieve this for some time - remember when Hillary Clinton wanted to initiate a health care card for every citizen? She jumped the gun and showed her hand! Do you honestly think for one moment that Hillary cared about health care for anybody other than her own familly? I think not.
Back in the 90's living in CA, I got a traffic ticket while driving thru Lake County. I lived in San Diego. I asked the court if I could submit a plea via the US Mail. Pursuant CA Traffic Laws, I entered a Plea of "OTHER" which was in both the CA Traffice Laws and the CA Penal Code. Back when DMV laws were first formed, in order to get traffic into an admiralty type court, they needed a mechanism to push a challenge back into criminal court (to make it legal). So a plea of "Other" would have technically required that the DMV court in Lake County remand the ticket case back to the Lake County Crminal Courts and that would require a first pleading of the people which means a damaged party would have to make their claim to the grand jury for a criminal indictment. This is not ficition, it was still the real law in the 90's. I met with the prior grand jury forement for Lake County, who looked into the issue, he advised me that if I was permitted to implelment my legal rights, it would backrupt Lake County as they derive lots of money from traffic tickets. The Lake courty DMV Traffic court then summarily judge me guilty and imposed a $65 fine and issued a Letter to the Department of Motor Vehicles ordering the "TO HOLD THE DRIVERS LICENSE RENEWAL IN ABEYANCE". In other words, if I didn't pay the fine, I could not renew my license. To escape this tyrany, I moved to another state and moved my business with me. Ironically, I never paid the ticket, and CA could not do anything about it as they never issued an arrest warrant. Nearly 10 years later, I bought a Truck in CA, paid CA sales taxes, and CA DMV refused to issue the License tags and registration. No biggie, I just took the bill of sale to my states DMV explained the problem and got the pink, registration, and tags. I never got the title or registration from CA. Now imagine what would have happened if this was a federal drivers license, federal car registration, and federal courts. For you the federal slave, you would have no place to go, to escape a future federal control over your ability to drive for work and pleasure. Get with it, and do something to save our rights.
How could an ID card be any worse than a secret grand jury authorizing secret home searches that no one is informed of?
I know my cabin in east Texas was entered, cameras place on the property,
all because a neighbor who was a cop believed I was growing "WEED".
Fortunatly he was fired for unauthorized background searches on many people.
It is known that much of data in FBI files is bogus crap.
How many lies that your enemies make up would not only fill the data base but also be on the magnetic strip on the card?
Many years ago while trying to get a cell phone I was rejected because I was DEAD! Someone at credit bureau office misstyped 1 number of another persons SS number who had died, it took several days to correct.
What if a misstype IDs me as ARMED AND DANGEROUS COP KILLER? Could I get it corrected before being hunted down and shot by the FBI or cops who believe it is true? How would I even Know?
Disgust, outrage, and loss of an important peace of mind are a plague, or better yet, a cancer on the American way. I cannot see anyone supporting this ID act. Let me say it so others can get it: the terrorists win if change ourselves into a country no longer recognized as America. We can fight them without sacrificing our way of life. What I do find amazing is the rational of the current administration and congress. We cannot torture, because it is not the honorable American way, right? So why would we do anything to infringe, AT ALL, on any American's rights? That is not the honorable American way either, is it? Besides, we are already chomping at the bit to use xray vision to look at people naked in airports.
Bin Laden is victorious. He has won, we have lost. Just face it, accept it, and get ready to wait in line for your loaf of bread and potato a week rations. I am sure we will still send food to Africa though...
Did anything I said above really piss you off.? Was it un American? U betcha! You people better all stand up and prove me wrong. God I hope I am. I took an oath a long time ago, "to defend the Constitution, against all enemies foreign and domestic." Anybody else ever take that oath? I think we all should, regardless of intent on serving in the armed forces or law enforcement. You should have to take the oath before you can vote. Please, stand up, even if it is baby steps at first. Tell your friends, family or anyone who will listen. Remind them that, no you are not living in a shack in the woods plotting Americas destruction. There are already people in Washington for that purpose.
" When they came for the Jews, I said nothing as I am not Jewish. When they came for gun owners, I said nothing as I owned no guns. When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up with me."
Ray, in reality, people are not commerce and there should be no federal regulation of people moving about from State to State. In fact, it is one of the privileges and immunities of citizens of the U.S. to move about, so Congress cannot infringe it in the name of the almight "commerce clause." This is why we need an amendment defining the breadth of Congressional powers under the Commerce Clause, returning them to their original intent.
If these idiots DO pass this US mark of the beast, just do what I do and leave ALL of your ID at home. I never have my DL with me. Drives my husband crazy because he's under the impression that we HAVE to carry ID with us at all times, I respond with "bite me, followed with, I'm an AMERICAN and I don't have to carry ID with me, I just have to identify myself if asked by law enforcement". Americans better wake up and smell the coffee before the US turns into a communist dictatorship!
I'm really encouraged by the resistance that's surrounded real id. I think it's a great blueprint on how to move forward. It started with non-binding resolutions in just a few states....saying no. And now it's to the point that after they've delayed the law twice, they may have to drop it altogether...
I understand how this issue got on the radar of 10th Amendment advocates (and, indeed, unfunded mandates on the states are one of the big issues related to the 10th), but I'm curious how they would have responded had the feds worded the law differently, thus:
These are the requirements that a form of identification must satisfy in order to board an airplane that crosses state lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
And listed the exact same requirements that REAL ID imposes on state drivers licenses? Let's suppose that a federal passport would meet the requirements (and it does), thus placing no mandated burden on the states.
Would this issue still be on the 10th Amendment Center's radar, and why?
Mike, this is excellent news, as Maine was facing the weight of the Feds through the usual intimidation. DOT funds, BIW contracts, etc... all could go away if you resist us.
I've seen TransPass/E-Z Pass data used to track errant spouses, how much more so a National ID with a proximity chip?
The phrase used by Captain Renault in Casablanca: "Round-up the Usual Suspects" could apply here, easily, and without warrant.
All it takes is door-mounted sensors, not unlike those already used in Government and Corporate installations. I'd bet most major department/discount stores could be "convinced" to permit installation.
Not unlike Sensormatic security tags to prevent theft of merchandise, the motivation would be to signal the presence of "known offenders" - while the raw data would be collected off-site, with undesirables, malcontents, and Tenth Amendment Center contributors tracked and perhaps detained for 72 hours under the Patriot Act.
Thank you, Senator Folmer, for weighing agaisnt Real ID. The whole concept of a federal ID card is frightening. The added safety would be marginal but the growth of federal power and instusiveness in our lives enormous. What's next? A cashless society where we have to use our national ID card to transact business, where the government can watch our every move and turn off the card of political dissenters so they cannot buy food? Why not just tatoo everybody like the Nazis did? It would be cheaper, last longer, and be so much more convenient. I marvel Homeland Security did not think of it sooner!
The 9/11 perps weren't using false identities. They had valid passports and credit cards. The entire purpose of RealID is to make it more convenient for government to control innocent citizens, and we shouldn't stand for it.
The biggest danger is that government will be able to create lists and classifications for individuals in secret. Along with those lists, local police will be able to record observations of you which you will not have any defense against or knowledge of. From tracking my small town police escapades over the last thirty years I can assure you this is a real dangerous act. The keeping of "brown sheets", people of particular interest who have not been charged, do not have warrants, are not guilty of anything but are the focus of scrutiny by police for reasons only they have reasons to pursue. In other words if they want to set you up, harrass or run you out of town they can and do use lists.
Now just imagine it isn't your local yokal wanting you harrassed or worse. If I blog something on the net that is despised,it can be immediately listed electronically to show any checker that I am in a class of problem people and how problematic by a number. I might even earn a no-fly or terrorist watch designation just for opining. Big brother should not have access electronically or otherwise to any individual unless the show cause to a judge, like our constitution guarantees.
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