RealID-PennDOT decries deadline for changes in issuing driver's licenses

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06013/637328.stm

PennDOT officials say they cannot meet a federally mandated deadline of 2008 for making extensive and expensive changes in procedures for issuing driver's licenses.

And Pennsylvania isn't alone, Deputy PennDOT Secretary Betty Serian said yesterday. Every state is facing massive administrative and technical headaches in trying to prepare computerized identification databases to comply with an anti-terrorism law called the Real ID Act, which was passed by Congress last May.

"There is a lot of confusion and concern because there is a lack of clarity about the act. There are many unknowns,'' Ms. Serian said. She considers the 2008 deadline for all states to comply "impossible and unrealistic.''

She said that the federal Department of Homeland Security, which is overseeing the new driver's license law, "needs to come up with regulations to clarify a lot of the unknowns in the act.''

Also concerned are some conservatives, immigration rights activists and civil libertarians, who fear the new law will force the compilation of a new national database of personal information on Americans that could be misused.

[Plausible]

1. they think Bin Laden is a Philly taxi driver now?

all this effort to spy on, collect data and track Americans. Non wonder they can't find Bin Laden.

[izzie]

3. I am sure they will take out a few homes in Philly if this is true

What is a few families if you can get number one or number two. Looks to me that the voters in the red states would be all for that. Or is it just people in Pakistan and Iraq they do not mind being killed?

[napi21]

2. Pa. Gov't is terrible!

This nut is saying they can't get their act together fast enough to comply withDHS orders? They can't get their act together for anything!

I did a search back in JULY 2005 for "found money" which searches for money that may be due to you and unclaimed. Well, I found some. I have no idea how much because PA, unlike many other States, doesn't tell you that! I filed the claim, provided all the documents they requested, and I was told "they are so busy, it will be a while!" I contacted them in December to check the status of my claim, and they told me "they are so busy, it will be at least February 2006 before they would be able to look at my claim!"

I lived in Pa for 45 years! They have always had a piss ass system in Pa gov't, and it obviously hasn't gotten any better in the last 19 years since I;ve moved out!

[RamboLiberal]

4. PA Govt is bad - but this RealID is a boondoggle that a lot of states

are screaming about. Just like the Repukes to pass something then not fund it. And where the hell are all the conservatives and libertarians who would be pissing and moaning if a Dem prez and congress would've passed this?

Randi Rhodes was probably the only pundit who railed against this. And she is right.

Papers please. Papers! I feel like we're in a 40's WWII movie Nazi-land.