Deadline set for "new driver's license"

WASHINGTON — Americans born after Dec. 1, 1964, will have to get more secure driver's licenses in the next six years under ambitious post-9/11 security rules to be unveiled Friday by federal officials.

The Homeland Security Department has spent years crafting the final regulations for the REAL ID Act, a law designed to make it harder for terrorists, illegal immigrants and con artists to get government-issued identification. The effort once envisioned to take effect in 2008 has been pushed back in the hopes of winning over skeptical state officials.

Even with more time, more federal help and technical advances, REAL ID still faces stiff opposition from civil liberties groups.

To address some of those concerns, the government now plans to phase in a secure ID initiative that Congress passed into law in 2005. Now, DHS plans a key deadline in 2011, and then further measures to be enacted three years later, according to congressional staffers who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because an announcement had not yet been made. DHS officials briefed legislative aides on the details late Thursday.

Without discussing details, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff promoted the final rules for REAL ID during a meeting Thursday with an advisory council.

"We worked very closely with the states in terms of developing a plan that I think will be inexpensive, reasonable to implement and produce the results," he said. "This is a win-win. As long as people use driver's licenses to identify themselves for whatever reason there's no reason for those licenses to be easily counterfeited or tampered with."

In order to make the plan more appealing to cost-conscious states, federal authorities drastically reduced the expected cost from $14.6 billion to $3.9 billion, a 73 percent decline, according to Homeland Security officials familiar with the plan.

The American Civil Liberties Union has fiercely objected to the effort, particularly the sharing of personal data among government agencies. The DHS and other officials say the only way to make sure an ID is safe is to check it against secure government data; critics like the ACLU say that creates a system that is more likely to be infiltrated and have its personal data pilfered.

In its written objection to the law, the ACLU claims REAL ID amounts to the "first-ever national identity card system," which "would irreparably damage the fabric of American life."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,321925,00.html

Well not, it doesn't seemed to have "irreparably damaged" the lives of the tens of millions of Americans who have applied for and gotten a US Passport.

And besides, what makes the difference if it is a "State issued Driver's License" .......... or a "State issued Driver's License based on Federal Government specifications" that mandates/insures that the size, shape and data content are consistent among all 50 States.


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It didn't hurt the transportation industry when they went to Federal CDL's 15 years ago. If fact, it cut down on unsafe drivers who would lose their license in one state and just go get them in another. I read of one gentleman that had his license suspended in 37 states for moving violations.

Actually on the ccommercial side at least I think it will be a North American driver's license soon, as opposed to just "federal".

There are apparently plans to build major port facilities in Mexico to bypass American ports so a lot more freight will be moving thru Mexico to the U.S. and Canada.

shermangeneral wrote:Actually on the ccommercial side at least I think it will be a North American driver's license soon, as opposed to just "federal".

There are apparently plans to build major port facilities in Mexico to bypass American ports so a lot more freight will be moving thru Mexico to the U.S. and Canada.

That's been happening to some extent for years Sherm. The biggest difference is that Mexican trucks are now being allowed to bring goods into the US as opposed to American trucks going and getting it. A simple fix would be to amend Transportation laws that only allow Mexican produced goods to cross the border.

That ain't likely. It would negate the whole point of building the port facilities in Mexico in the first place.

But any way you look at it, a lot of freight is gonna need to be moved.

If we get a new administration in there and get the economy back on track with some consumer confidence and long term plans in place I would like to buy a truck or two.

shermangeneral wrote:That ain't likely. It would negate the whole point of building the port facilities in Mexico in the first place.

WOW, that will cut MILLION$ off the co$t$ of imported goods ...... by cutting out that "Union Pay" the Longshoremen are getting.

shermangeneral wrote:If we get a new administration in there and get the economy back on track with some consumer confidence and long term plans in place I would like to buy a truck or two.

Sherm, will those new trucks be "burning" ethanol?

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That's exactly what I was thinking: the longshoremen are the only reason to bypass American ports.

Well Sam before you get too gleeful just remember American Longshoremen pay your Soc Security.

Just like I do.

But Mexican truckers won't.

shermangeneral wrote:Well Sam before you get too gleeful just remember American Longshoremen pay your Soc Security.

Just like I do.

But Mexican truckers won't.

What, are then not going to buy fuel and eat in our restruants?

shermangeneral wrote:Well Sam before you get too gleeful just remember American Longshoremen pay your Soc Security.

Just like I do.

But Mexican truckers won't.

Hey Sherm, don't be gettin all pouty and p-faced at me, ...... you were the one who liked that Mexican Port idea, ...... and ready n' wanting to buy two (2) new trucks to haul freight north out of Mexico.

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Aaron wrote:

(Sherman) But Mexican truckers won't.

What, are then not going to buy fuel and eat in our restruants?

Why sure nuff Aaron, that is all part of the Democrat's "2009 Job Creation Plan".

A creating thousands of new Service Sector jobs ...... a serving tacos and refried beans to those Mexican truckers. With hot peppers.

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