The deadline for states to apply for an extension to come into compliance with the Real ID Act is looming at the end of this month. The Real ID Act, sponsored by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI-05), was a bill passed by Congress in 2005 that creates what is essentially a national identification card. It has come under fire by civil libertarians, the ACLU, and both members of left and right wings groups due to a number of what I feel are very valid concerns. So far 17 states have passed bills or resolutions refusing to comply with the act, but only four have so far refrained from filing for the extension: Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Beginning in May, residents of these four states, which includes me, will not be able to enter certain Federal facilities or open a bank account without a passport, or board a flight without going through a second security screening unless a passport is presented. (Don’t shed tears for Sam. He has a passport)

The ACLU insists that these are idle threats by the Feds and they will not go through with these restrictions if there are states resisting. The governor here in South Carolina has stated that he has no intention of filing for an extension and I back him up on this. Governor Schweitzer of Montana has stated his feelings on the Real ID in his own eloquent way, “No, nope, no way, hell no.’’ and insists that residents of Montana will still be able to fly come May.

The main issue the state governments are citing is the cost of the Real ID. South Carolina contends that the act is another unfunded Federal mandate that will cost the state $16 million to implement and another $10 million annually to maintain and would plague the residents of the state with extraordinarily long lines at the DMV. Cost is certainly a valid concern. If the Federal government is going to require it, they ought to pay for it. Either way, this is still billions of our tax dollars down the drain every year.

My main concern and that of many others is that for the first time in American history this will actually create a virtual single repository of the personal information of every American citizen right in the hands of the United States government. George Orwell, 1984 is here. Having access to this kind of database will allow the government to monitor the movements of every one of us wherever we go. Any reasonable expectation of privacy we have from the government is out the window. For some that may not be a concern. I hear many people speak freely about not having the slightest problem with giving up some of their freedoms if it will make them safer. However, ask yourself how secure is this information going to be? Can the government really protect it from outsiders? Just a few weeks ago a couple of hackers in China broke into the Pentagon. Are we all naive enough to believe the government can truly keep our most personal information out of prying eyes, which ironically should include themselves? Identity theft is rampant around the world right now.

Furthermore, how is this really going to fight against terrorism? The 9-11 hijackers came here legally. They didn’t sneak into the country. They came here with legal U.S. visas and all the right paperwork. If this system had been in place when they arrived in the U.S. what would have prevented them from obtaining a Real ID?

Additionally, the larger concern is the future use of this. This will inevitably grow into a larger repository for more and more of our information as time goes on. We already have a modern example of this, the Social Security number. Your Social Security number was meant to be just that, an identifier of you in that specific system, yet today you can’t do practically anything without providing your Social Security number. You can’t open a bank account. You can’t apply for a loan. Your doctor can’t file your insurance claim with your Social Security number. You can’t get a job. Illegal aliens are stealing people’s identities left and right by stealing their Social Security number. My grandfather has been a victim of this. An illegal Mexican is presently living in California using his Social Security number and it’s been reported to the government several times and nothing has been done. They don’t care! I’m supposed to expect D.C. to protect my information on a Real ID? Forget it.

I am a firm believer this has to be stopped. I don’t see the supposed merits of this national ID card being anywhere near worth the risk of having my personal information put in jeopardy by leaving it in the hands of big brother or a thieving hacker. Would you be able to trust a future Clinton Administration with access to this information? The states rebelling against this need to stand firm and push back. The power grabs from Washington have got to stop and we as Americans need to push back against the constant diminishing of our freedoms in exchange for a false sense of security.

Only eight House Republicans stood against this act when it passed in 2005:

• Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL)
• Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
• Ron Paul (TX)
• Richard Pombo (TX)
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)
• Chris Smith (NJ)
• Heather Wilson (NM)
• Don Young (AK)