My proposal for legal Government ID's, vital documents, etc.

[CreekDog]

Each citizen shall be entitled to a free legal identification (not a driver's license --that's different).

The free legal identification shall be available widely from many types of government offices, most importantly, NOT just Department of Motor Vehicle locations.

Vital documents associated with or needed to gain this legal identification shall be provided for free (birth certificates or other documents) much like we have access to a free credit report once per year.

The main issues I think should be dealt with are:

That legal identification should be just as available and accessible for non drivers as it is for drivers. The locations where one can get the identifications should be accessible to non drivers, transit and walkable from urban city centers. They should have occasional extended and/or weekend hours.

That the vital documents so critical to get passports or other legal identification be made available for free.


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chime in with your other ideas.

[MineralMan]

1. I can't argue against that in any way.

The American ID Project. I like it.

[CreekDog]

2. yes, thanks

[TBF]

3. Good use of the post office -

they've been doing passports for years.

[wandy]

4. This would solve any number of problems including..........

the Right Wings insane obsession with Jim Crow,,,, whops I meant voter fraud.
I would go so far as to issue two cards. One to be kept at home in case the one you carry gets lost, strayed or stolen.
Anyone without a passport or military discharge who has had a wallet stolen will know where I'm coming from here.

The problem with this national ID and helping solve the right wing crazy voter fraud thing is.............
You run full on smack into Right Wing crazy.

Is coming national ID 'mark of the beast'?

Is the national ID card the next step toward the imposition of the biblical “mark of the beast” Christians believe will be required to buy and sell during the Last Days?

http://www.wnd.com/2006/05/36029/

1) Finding RW crazy on this wasn't difficult. Finding the best of the best was a challenge.
2) Yes right wing crap, still it's good to remember. They think as crazy as they sound. They are as crazy as you think.

Gotta do something 'bout 'dem illeagel voters.

[CreekDog]

5. rather than a national ID, my thought was that this be a state ID

but there would be requirements to make it accessible, free and the documents necessary for it free as well.

[wandy]

6. Would not matter if it was administered at the state or federal level...........

You could start out with a basic common 'subset' of information and states could add additional information as desired.
Make the background the state bird if you want to.
If you file income taxes (state or federal) send the cards out with the return.
Register to vote, here are your ID cards.
Driver, fishing, hunting license, if the ID card looked worn give out a new one.
Sure use the post office, why not.

You do know that teapublicans fight this even on a state level.
It's too easy a fix for the Jim Crow,,,, whoops I mean voter fraud game.

Yup I'll say it. Teapublican crazy demands that you only need an ID card if you ain't pink.

[Lurks Often]

7. I might tweak the income requirements for the free ID

Anybody making less then X on their adjusted taxable income Federal Income tax gets the ID for free; anybody over X has to pay the cost of the ID with a cap on the cost to say around $25-$30.

The actual amount of X remains to be determined, although I think $25,000-$30,000 should be pretty close.

Using the adjusted taxable income should account for most of the more common deductions since $30,000 for some single is a lot different then $30,000 for someone with three kids.

[CreekDog]

8. well suddenly you've required people to bring their tax info in

and suddenly you've required the id issuing people to judge people's income.

and suddenly you've made the job much much more expensive.

so no thanks.

[Lurks Often]

9. The money to pay for it has to come from somewhere

having those who can easily afford it helps subsidize the cost, otherwise everybody, including the poor, will end up paying for it anyway, either in slightly raised taxes or a loss of services somewhere else.

As for basing it on the adjusted taxable income, I'm sure the IRS has computerized that data anyway. So linking that data to an instant check system similar to the FBI NICS system should be doable. Run the name and address (and SSN for the very common names) through IRS NICS and it spits back either "Free" or "Pay $25"

[Nuclear Unicorn]

10. I have no arguments against but as a point worth noting --

many places charge a fee for birth certificates. Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either, I guess it's an administrative thing.

One Progressive writer, whose name regretfully eludes me, suggested simply including a photo on the Social Security card.

[CreekDog]

11. that's precisely why getting a free birth certificate from time to time is necessary

it's required for a number of things from time to time and it should be free.