It looks, for the moment, like I won't have to use my passport to travel from South Carolina to see my friends in Florida, Colorado, Illinois or Missouri. For the moment. The federal gummit is trying to force South Carolina to use "Real I.D.s" which congress says all the states must use, instead of state driver's licenses or I.D.s which South Carolina, and most states currently use. The feds say that if we don't use their I.D.s and get into their specific data-base- to be used for who-knows-what?, by who-knows-whom?- Homeland Security will make S.C. residents present passports and go through increased security checks to travel interstate through airports. 
Most states have asked for more time to comply; South Carolina refuses to ask for an extension, because it/we disagree in principle with a National I.D. Last time S.C. got really serious about a "state's rights" issue... well, there's a picture of Ft. Sumter (now, but not always, under the Stars and Stripes).Now, my view of our Republican Governor, Mark Sanford, had always been colored by my party affiliation, Democrat, and my friends and acquaintances in the legislature, who have not had a particularly smooth relationship with the Governor. It's getting harder to stereotype Governor Sanford. The Charleston Post and Courier reports that Governor Sanford sent a letter to the director of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, informing him that S.C.'s driver's licenses meet 90% of the criteria listed for "Real I.D.s", anyway, and that we wouldn't be requesting an extension, because we don't agree with the concept, and, get this, "Our greatest homeland security is liberty". Chertoff, for the moment has granted us an extension anyway, even though we didn't ask for it. Now, S.C.'s legislature actually passed a law prohibiting S.C. from complying with the "Real I.D." demand, but Sanford has never had a problem thumbing his nose at the General Assembly in the past. Say what you will about Sanford: he's got guts.
11 comments:
Yeah, this isn't any good. It's going to blow up in the Fed's face because the deadline is May 11th, but no state, even those states that are willing, will be in compliance with the 2005 Real ID Act because, in short, no state can afford it and even the Federal government knows that in its present form it's an unworkable nightmare.
As you point out, some states have passed legislation refusing to act on it as well, with seven states outright refusing to adopt the provisions of the act and 27 other states passing legislation either opposing the act's provisions or are considering similar legislation. This is after the DoHS rewrote the plan to extend full compliance deadlines until December of 2017. That's just crazy and it shows even the Fed doesn't have faith of the present form of the Act working.
Besides, with over half the country willfully in non-compliance by the deadline and the rest of the country simply unable to afford to be in compliance, I'm not exactly sure what the Federal government is going to do to enforce it. Even if they had the gumption to send in troops or whatnot, seeing as how it's sent most of the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, that's not going to work with over half the states thumbing their noses.
I'm looking for even more backpedaling on this around the end of April, either a retroactive extension to file the waver for more time, or a possible rewrite of the plan altogether making opting in voluntary instead of mandatory.
In any event, were Clinton and Obama concerned with anything other than trading barbs with one another and were the media concerned with anything other than following those barbs, this would be a helluva story as you rightly point out it could lead to the biggest State vs Federal conflict since April of 1861.
Spot on, QJ. Is MO a "Hell, no!" state, or a "Gee, I'd really like to, but payday isn't for awhile" state?
Certainly under Jeb "Lil Bro, who's like 6'6") Bush, Florida was in, but Govern Charlie "The Man with Tan" Christ, Florida will probably pass. Chuck is a Republican, but he's a populist above all else.
Well your id certainly won't be in compliance SD ... it seems to have bits of paper stuck all over it.
I think Colorado is a "what the hell are you guys talking about over there? ... Hey, look, beer!" state.
Well, Chase, it's hard to argue about a horrible loss of right to privacy if I post all my DL info on the internet. Course, you how to get hold of me anyway. And, yeah, beer is good, least, so says Tom T. Hall. http://youtube.com/watch?v=gm2veIwTAnk
And, Ange, much as it pains me, I don't yet have a personal relationship with Florida's savior, Crist.
Good thing you're due for the updated photo on your DL in May, Adolph.
Props on the title. It rocks!
Yeah, Amy, and I don't have a beard anymore, either.
Thanks for the props, John.
That is scary stuff, especially when you ponder the meaning of the "minimum data elements" to be embedded in the card and that it also will be required for entry into all federal buildings.
Are those little bits of paper from where you cut yourself shaving?
Yeah, Sunny, reminds me of a joke that AndyMan and I played on a kibbitzing woman in a ATM line(back when they were walk-in booths). We were talking some rot, and Andy noticed this Betty was trying to horn in. He subtly nodded in her direction, and the following conversation ensured:
AndyMan: Yeah, Dave, the Wedding's off.
SuperDave: Oh, No! What happened?
AM: My fiance invited me over to her parents' house, and I went, but got in a hurry and forgot to shave.
SD: I bet that went over like a fart in Church.
AM: They were pissed, and my fiance said the wedding was off.
SD: Well, can you blame them?
(at this point the woman is about to fall over leaning to hear better)
AM: I asked for another chance. We set it up again, and THIS time I shaved, but it was worse...
SD: Worse?
AM: Yeah, I cut myself shaving, and I was limping around all day.
(at this point the lady threw up her hands and said, "Oh, Please!"
nice porn 'stache
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