Oh good so my first impression was correct. This is a very bad idea! I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to put GPS chips in them as well. FWIW-I'm against that too.
The fact it was tagged onto another bill that they knew had to pass is always a bad indicator. They should outlaw Christmas Tree Bills
Once REAL ID is firmly in place, they won't really need GPS chips in them, will they? I'm guessing that lots of things that don't "require ID" at this time, will in the future.
The state where I currently live refuses to allow me to register to vote or to obtain a driver's license, because I refuse to give them my social security number for those purposes. I've been fighting this for 4 years now. I have all the documents I need to prove identity and residence (including my passport, original birth certificate, and others). But without the social security number, they deny me my right to vote.
In another thread, one of our resident idiots actually made a good point about a related subject: the government doesn't have the time & resources to watch your every move. Well, true - to a degree. No, they don't have 3 agents for every citizen, watching and recording everything you do. But the wiretaps are out there, and the voice recognition software IS flagging keywords, then flagging your phone number. Federal 'bots are recording IP addresses of visits to "flagged" websites.
So, chances are, if you check out one "flagged" book from the library, or get placed (against your will) on a flagged mailing list, or do a google search on a couple of flagged keywords, or visit (intentionally or accidentally) a couple of flagged websites, you could end up in a special database as a "person of interest."
I just don't think that a national database, which can be cross-referenced to almost every aspect of your life, is a good idea. I don't think the federal government can be trusted to use that kind of information responsibly or honestly.
FWIW, if you rent a car, I can guarantee you it has a GPS/RFID chip.
And the last time you moved, and submitted a change of address to the USPS, they sold your information. Yep. The good ole postal service sells your name, old address, and new address to anyone willing to pay for it.
I mean, I agree that a driver's license is a privilege, but I disagree that only people who drive a car should have the extra protection provided by the government. Imagine somebody not being able to board a plane because they don't have a driver's license?
I was shocked that during a recent trip to one of the big electronics chains, when asked for ID at the checkout, the clerk told me my passport was not acceptable, a driver's license was required. They actually had to get a manager to do an override on the register. How's that for "ubiquitous"?
America is fast becoming so elitest with people being denied service because they don't have cell phones or Internet access.
This pops up in interesting and unexpected areas. I just recently purchased an expensive ($650) professional software suite, Adobe Photoshop CS3. Guess what? Even after paying that much for it, when you install, you only get a trial version. You MUST run the program, and direct it to connect to the internet to complete the registation before you have a permanent, full version on your computer. No more typing in the godawful registration code yourself. Regardless of how much you pay, you may not use the software without internet access.
the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles issues an Identification Card which is essentially a driver's license for people who don't drive. It's not required, but you'll need one if you want to prove your identity or age, as an example, in situations like buying cigarettes and beer or going thru airport security).
I think most states offer the option of getting a state ID instead of a driver's license.