How close is Oklahoma to Real ID? Much, Much Closer Than It Ought To Be

Kaye Beach

September 14, 2012

Have you noticed the flurry of activity related to Oklahoma’s driver’s licenses?  Did your Real ID radar begin to ping?

A Google photo search for “new driver’s license design” shows that many states, like Oklahoma, are getting new driver’s license designs.  And like Oklahoma, the photos are all moved to the left.  This isn’t a DMV fad.   These standards come from somewhere.  —  2012 AAMVA North American Standard – DL/ID Card Design

“AAMVA (the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) is called the “backbone” and hub” of the Real ID Act in the final rules issued by DHS” Mark Lerner, testimony before the Michigan House of Representatives, 2008

Several news items were released last week about some changes coming to Oklahoma’s driver’s licenses.

Oklahoma Rolls Out New Driver License and Upgraded Issuance System by MorphoTrust Sep 06, 2012 by Business Wire

“The new license meets rigorous security requirements and will not only upgrade our system but enhance customer service as well,” said Michael C. Thompson, Commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.

Oklahoma driver’s license will get makeover

Repositioned photograph is among changes to be rolled out over next several months for Oklahoma driver’s license

“They totally redesigned the system to where it’s going to be faster for the operator, which will speed up the line of people waiting at the tag agencies and exam offices.”

These news items were primed by many articles released over the last couple of months regarding the horrendous waits driver’s license applicants are forced to undergo in our state since ‘The number of examiners at licensing offices statewide decreased from 152 in 2009 to 105 this year. The number of testing sites has been reduced from 89 to 36 in a decade’

Long lines drive push to help Oklahoma driver’s license exam sites

At this point, Oklahomans are frustrated and the news of any changes that could help speed up the process are sure to be greeted with a huge sigh of relief and little scrutiny.

A little scrutiny is in order.

The deadline for meeting the standards of the REAL ID Act is January 15, 2013.

The Real ID Act passed in 2005 imposed federal guidelines that use  INTERNATIONAL standards for state driver’s licenses and ID documents

REAL ID licenses are to be

•machine readable

•contain biometric data

(including facial biometrics)

This and other information is to be shared

•nationally

•internationally

There are 18 initial benchmarks (39 benchmarks total) to the Real ID Act of 2005 that, once they are achieved, a state can consider to be in “material compliance” with the Act.  A state is in “full compliance” with the Real ID Act upon meeting all 39 of the benchmarks.

Once material compliance is achieved a state may request to be able to place a gold star on their state license to indicate that the card is acceptable for “federal identification purposes” from the DHS.

Spring of this year seven states were named as being the naughty foot draggers regarding meeting the 18 Real ID benchmarks. Oklahoma is listed as one of those laggard seven states and for good reason-our state passed a law prohibiting implementation of the federal Real ID Act in 2008. 

Oklahoma – OKLA. STAT. ANN, tit. 47, § 6-110.3 (2007) (The State of Oklahoma shall not participate in the implementation of the REAL ID Act of 2005. The Department of Public Safety is hereby directed not to implement the provisions of the REAL ID Act of 2005 and to report to the Governor and the Legislature any attempt by agencies or agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security to secure the implementation of the REAL ID Act of 2005 through the operations of that or any other state department. . .

The President of the Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License took it upon himself to help the Department of Homeland Security pressure and threaten these last remaining rebel states:

“It’s their last opportunity to get on board with the REAL ID rules or face consequences. . . . REAL ID is no longer a policy matter, the REAL ID debate is over.  REAL ID is now part of DHS’ ongoing operations.”
PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bIrU)

What are the “consequences” of not having a Real ID?  Here is what we are told;

“In the future, only those state issued Driver Licenses and Identification cards which are fully compliant with the REAL ID act of 2005 will be authorized for use as identification for official federal government purposes, such as boarding commercial aircraft and entering certain regulated federal facilities.” Alabama DMV-STAR ID

Does this mean we won’t be able to fly?  In a word-no.  We will still be able to fly.   A passport will work as well as a military ID.  Of course any government issued photo ID means biometrics and carries with it the some of the same concerns as Real ID.  Any lesser ID may require secondary screening procedures, but you can fly without a Real ID.  As far as the federal buildings.  That will be interesting.  Barring US citizens from certain federal building will probably set off a constitutional showdown.

Oklahoma was not alone in their opposition to the Real ID Act.  At least 25 states passed a law or resolution prohibiting the implementation of Real ID in their states.  This was a historic level of rebellion and one that both red and blue states participated.

At least 13 (the National Conference of State Legislatures recognizes 16) states passed an actual law against Real ID but we know from Congressional documents that some of these states are quietly issuing Real ID compliant driver’s licenses anyways.

Thirteen states have laws prohibiting compliance with the REAL ID Act. Even so, DHS believes that some of these states already issue secure identification documents consistent with the standards of the regulation.  Link

These states may not sign up for the gold star just yet, but with a wink and a nod, they are just as surely undermining the will of the people by meeting the first 18 benchmarks of Real ID.  To state it simply, these states are positioned to do the bidding of the Department of Homeland Security by meeting the requirements of the Real ID Act while retaining plausible deniability about violating their states’ law that prohibits implementation of the Real ID Act.

At least nineteen states are now in compliance with the Act.   Twenty-six more are reported to have committed to meet the standards before the (new) deadline. (Dec. 1, 2014) link

So where does Oklahoma stand on the 18 (Real ID) benchmarks?

I will show you that Oklahoma is merely one benchmark away from compliance with this international ID scheme that caused an unprecedented uproar by the states following its introduction in 2005.

Oklahoma has progressed from meeting 9 of these benchmarks in 2008 to currently meeting 14 of the 18 Real ID benchmarks. (3 of the benchmarks pertain to formalizing commitment by the state to REAL ID.  State’s that have passed a law prohibiting Real ID implementation are forgiven these benchmarks by the Dept. of Homeland Security.  That is the “wink and a nod” Do in reality, Oklahoma is really only one benchmark away from being considered Real ID compliant.)

Real ID benchmarks 1-6

Real ID Benchmarks 7-15

Real ID Benchmarks 16-18

 

Doesn’t appear that the law prohibiting implementation of the provisions of Real ID slowed us down much, does it?

Some of these 18 benchmarks are sensible measures that many states were already working on prior to Real ID anyways.

However, benchmark Number 1 is a REAL problem!

Benchmark #1. “Mandatory facial image capture and retention of such image.”

Let me explain briefly why:  the digital facial photo is a biometric suitable for use with facial recognition software.  In fact, facial biometrics is the governments biometric of choice.  Why?  It is not the most accurate biometric for identification purposes but it does allow us to be identified in public without our knowledge or consent.  Never mind that we have the right to go about our business, as long as we are not a criminal or suspect, without be investigated.  The Supreme Court has upheld our right to anonymity on several occasions in recent history.

Here is just one example;

Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority … It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation–and their ideas from suppression–at the hand of an intolerant society.”

McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm’n, 514 U.S. 334

The inaccuracy of facial recognition could cause anyone to be misidentified which would introduce the unfortunate person host of unpleasant possibilities.  But, I suppose, it is ‘good enough for government work,’ as they say.  But it gets even worse.

After the initial 18 benchmarks are met, the states will proceed to implement the next 21 benchmarks, step by step enrolling us into a global biometric identity system.

“The main ideology for defining the design of the DL/ID is the minimum acceptable set of requirements to guarantee global interoperability. “

Source: Personal Identification – AAMVA North American Standard – DL/ID Card Design, 2012

Myself as well as many other policy watchers that care to know, have been warning for years that our government intends to use those DL photos, conveniently combined with our personal, biographical information to not just identify us in public absent of any specific, articulable suspicion; they intend to use our facial biometrics to investigate and even predict based on the associated data- whether we are more or less likely to present a threat to government.  As of late, these intentions have been loosed from obscure, seldom read government documents and have been printed in black and white for the world to see.

In addition to scanning mugshots for a match, FBI officials have indicated that they are keen to track a suspect by picking out their face in a crowd.

Another application would be the reverse: images of a person of interest from security cameras or public photos uploaded onto the internet could be compared against a national repository of images held by the FBI. An algorithm would perform an automatic search and return a list of potential hits for an officer to sort through and use as possible leads for an investigation.

New Scientist, September 7, 2012 FBI launches $1 billion face recognition project

And then this-a first-law enforcement admits to using facial recognition on protestors in public.

Computer World: Undercover cops secretly use smartphones, face recognition to spy on crowds

And this one from June 16, 2013,  the Washington Post:

State photo-ID databases become troves for police

Oklahoma residents who prefer to not be enrolled into this biometric identification system ought to be asking their representatives why the state is continuing in the fulfillment of the Real ID Act in spite of the law which clearly expresses the will of the people to not participate in the international biometric identity scheme.

 

Oklahoma’s TENTH with TEETH, Real ID/PASS ID, Biometric Identification and RFID

 

Oklahoma’s Tenth Amendment Resolution, Real ID/PASS ID, Biometric Identification and RFID

Understanding the implications.

Many Americans had deep misgivings about the Real ID Act on a gut level from the beginning, but the devil here is truly in the details. If you don’t exactly get how it all works, don’t feel lonely. It is a complicated issue. New technology plus a climate of fear and uncertainty obscures comprehension. Here is what I have learned.

News article;

–The Homeland Security Department’s plans for sharing biometric information internationally
— designed to counter the threat of terrorism — face resistance from domestic privacy advocates and European governments that follow stricter privacy laws that protect personal data.

Senior DHS officials speaking at a recent conference on biometrics and privacy policy outlined the ethical imperative for technical standards that would foster unrestricted biometric data sharing.

And while they say they recognize and agree with the need for privacy policy, threats of terrorism require governments and private companies to completely eliminate barriers to biometric data sharing.

Robert Mocny, acting program manager for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program, sketched the outline of a Global Security Envelope of internationally shared biometric data that would permanently link individuals with their personal data held by governments and corporations.

http://www.gcn.com/print/26_03/43061-1.html

“Information sharing is appropriate around the world,”
and DHS plans to create a “Global Security Envelope of internationally
shared biometric data that would permanently link individuals with
biometric ID, personal information held by governments and corporations”——Robert Mocny

One thing we can do to protect our state from the many unconstitutional mandates being issued by the federal government is to tell our lawmakers that we fully expect them to protect the sovereignty of Oklahoma. They have indicated a renewal of fidelity and their solemn intent to defend our state’s sovereignty by virtue of majority vote and subsequent passage of the Tenth Amendment Resolution, HCR 1028, last session (2009).

Background

In 2008, the Tenth Amendment Resolution authored by Oklahoma State Representative Charles Key garnered an extraordinary amount of attention among small government advocates nationwide. The news of this resolution went viral on the internet but received no attention from the mass media.  Here is one of many articles written about Oklahoma and this resolution by Walter E. Williams, a much respected conservative commentator.

Oklahomans are trying to recover some of their lost state sovereignty by House Joint Resolution 1089, introduced by State Rep. Charles Key.

[. . .] Federal usurpation goes beyond anything the Constitution’s framers would have imagined. James Madison, explaining the constitution, in Federalist Paper 45, said, “The powers delegated … to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, [such] as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce. … The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people.” Thomas Jefferson emphasized that the states are not “subordinate” to the national government, but rather the two are “coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. … The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government.”

Walter E. Williams, Oklahoma Rebellion
Thursday, July 17, 2008

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=32534

 

The Tenth Amendment Resolution HJR passed the House with overwhelming support but was somehow lost in transit on its way to the Senate.

Resolutions often get no respect but this one should have; the states of this union are the precarious position of losing their rightful sovereignty.

Fortunately, in 2009, Oklahoma ultimately got their Tenth Amendment Resolution Passed. HJR 1003 was vetoed by Governor Brad Henry but another resolution; HCR 1028 (needing no signature from the governor) was quickly placed and passed.

Now we can see the value of a simple resolution.

All voluntary action begins with a resolution, a decision. Not a gnat is swatted without our resolve first to do so. Resolve is the step beyond identification that something is amiss as in “Houston, we have a problem”, and sets us a hairsbreadth away from doing something to rectify the situation.

Upon passage of this Resolution (HCR 1028) Oklahoma gained the moment of our common clarity. Captured and immortalized it in a formal fashion, HCR 1028 The Tenth Amendment Resolution is a declaration of resolve to us by our legislature that they will address what is plaguing our state. We are no longer bewildered, we are now resolved.

Here is the content of that resolution;

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”; and

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and

WHEREAS, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and

WHEREAS, today, in 2009, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, many federal laws are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment assures that we, the people of the United States of America and each sovereign state in the Union of States, now have, and have always had, rights the federal government may not usurp; and

WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 4 says, “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government”, and the Ninth Amendment states that “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people”; and

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

WHEREAS, a number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 52ND OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:

THAT the State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States.

THAT this serves as Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.

THAT all compulsory federal legislation which directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited.

THAT a copy of this resolution be distributed to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate of each state’s legislature of the United States of America, and each member of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation.

We have their word by virtue of a formal agreement that was duly considered, weighted and passed. Now we must remind them of this and hold them to it!

We live in a Republic, not a Dictatorship

Centralization of power never favors individual rights.

When state and local governments lose the ability to make decisions over their jurisdiction we lose our influence over the lawmaking that will most directly impact your life.

It cannot be denied that we are suffering the effects of overzealous national legislating.  The bailouts of irresponsible banks by the US government and the continuing effort to establish national healthcare, in spite of an unprecedented outcry from ordinary Americans, are recent example of how central government tends its own interests over ours.

The Real ID act is a widely understood example of the sort of policy abuse we need to stop.

REAL ID REBELLION

26 states over the past 2 years have passed resolutions and binding law denouncing and refusing to implement the REAL ID Act.

The fact that REAL ID was passed as an unfunded mandate is the least offensive of its many problems. It is the collection and sharing of biometric data, not only nationally but INTERNATIONALLY that it enables that make it untenable to a nation founded upon the precept of individual freedom.

Although Oklahoma has prohibited participation in the REAL ID in 2007 when we passed SB 464, the program of enrollment into a biometric system of identification, the collecting of our biometrics and sharing that information has continued unabated.

CNET News;

States say no (and yes) to Real ID before May deadline

March 4, 2008

 

A seemingly odd phenomenon is occurring among some U.S. states that have flatly rejected the Real ID Act.

Even though officials in these states have publicly assured privacy-conscious voters that they steadfastly oppose Real ID’s requirement of nationalized driver’s licenses and ID cards, these same politicians and bureaucrats are quietly asking the Bush administration for more time to comply with the law.

The latest example is Oklahoma. In our special report published last month, we listed five states that–at the time we wrote the articles–indicated that they would not comply with Real ID. Those were Maine, South Carolina, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma; residents of states that don’t comply will likely face hassles traveling on commercial flights or entering federal buildings starting May 11.

Oklahoma’s legislature had approved legislation saying that Real ID “is inimical to the security and well-being of the people of Oklahoma” and, therefore, “the state of Oklahoma shall not participate in the implementation of the Real ID Act. The Department of Public Safety is hereby directed not to implement the provisions of the Real ID Act…”

That seems pretty clear; in fact, it would be difficult to be any clearer.

But now we’ve learned that Oklahoma’s DMV has asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for an extension anyway. An official DHS map puts the state squarely in the will-comply-if-you-give-us-more-time category.

Capt. Chris West, an Oklahoma Department of Public Safety spokesman, told us this week:

There was a request for an extension on a deadline to a rule that would have (been) implemented in May of this year. We got an extension until the end of December 2009, so Oklahomans can still use the driver’s licenses that they have. And really that’s the extent to what I can answer.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9885311-38.html

SB 464, opposing the implementation of Real ID in Oklahoma was enacted May 23, 2007.

This item was published on May 30, 2007

Better Face Recognition Software

http://www.itl.nist.gov/iad/News/FaceRecog2.htmlAt Carnegie Mellon, Ralph Gross says that among other efforts, he and his colleagues have been “involved with local DMVs in order to scan images for driver’s licenses.

It’s a growing trend. States using such technology include Massachusetts, Illinois, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, North and Southern Carolina, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

 

Biometric identification systems are not national ID’s. They are international ID’s!

Under the REAL ID ACT, state drivers licenses’ must have a machine-readable strip that will contain personal information that could be accessed by foreign governments as well as private corporations.  The biometric data and the other personal data would become part of a database accessible not only by state agencies, but by the federal government and foreign governments.

Why would our government want to do this?

to Mark Lerner nationally recognized biometric expert, cuts to the chase;

“With the issues facing the world; war, economic chaos, poverty, dwindling resources, population growth and so on our government and others want a system of control over people and resources.  I ask everyone to consider there is only one reason our government is using standards (international) that call for global interoperability, the reason being control of the people.
Biometrics is the key because biometrics allow for both the long distance and short distance identification of people.”

By the way, a simple digital photo is all that is needed to gain your facial biometrics (facial recognition technology) you can be entered in this system of networked databases without your knowledge or consent

The DMV, for example, uses your digital snapshot taken for a state driver’s license in Oklahoma this way. CCTV, the surveillance cameras you see popping up everywhere also do the trick. It’s just a matter of converting the image with some software into biometric coding.

 

Despite being highly inaccurate, facial recognition is the biometric of e-Passport and REAL ID. Since facial recognition is used with common digital photos, collected by states and nations, PERMANENT biometric enrollment occurs as databases, containing personal-biometric-photo information, are linked. Database linking can occur without the individual’s knowledge. REAL ID requires states to link their databases, sharing personal-biometric information and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) boasts of a global personal-biometric sharing system
http://www.oksafe.com/files/documents/1/REAL_ID_Your_Body_is_Your_ID_7-13-08.pdf

.

–In recent years U.S. manufacturers began utilizing RFIDs in a staggering array of products. Making use of the same technology that allows cars to sail through EZ Pass tolls, RFIDs are being stitched into clothing, sneakers, razors, books, boots, and just about everything else that a tiny tracking device can be attached on or in. The initial incentive is a highly practical one: “tagged” products can be readily tracked through the distribution gauntlet from factory to store shelf. Concealed like many extant antitheft devices, they will do nothing unless touched by a “reader signal,” which makes the RFID “reply” with its own unique signal – an electronic dialogue invisible to the person wearing it.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1051-Independent-Examiner~y2008m12d3-Freedom-Under-Surveillance-Part-I

 

RFID

RFID industry insiders say that within a short time the RFID readers will be refined enough to read passive RFID tags (such as the ones in identification documents and individual products) by low orbiting satellites that are deployed within 200 miles of the earth.

DHS report faults use of RFID for human identification

Says threat to privacy outweighs benefits

[. . . ]While the authors of the report acknowledge that RFID is useful for such tasks as inventory management, the report said that the technology, overall, is undesirable for processes connected with people. The benefits of its support for rapid communication over distances and its uses in security are outweighed by its risks to privacy, the report stated.

“Most difficult and troubling is the situation in which RFID is ostensibly used for tracking objects (medicine containers, for example), but can be in fact used for monitoring human behavior These types of uses are still being explored and remain difficult to predict. For these reasons, we recommend that RFID be disfavored for identifying and tracking human beings”

COMPUTER WORLD 2006

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9000881/DHS_report_faults_use_of_RFID_for_human_identification

The Report further states;

In a visual ID-check environment, a person may be briefly identified but then forgotten, rendering them anonymous for practical purposes. In a radio ID-check environment, by contrast, a person’s entry into a particular area can easily be recorded and the information permanently stored and repeatedly shared. In this way, RFID may convert identification based security into an effective surveillance program of all people passing certain locations.
READ the REPORT

 

RFID and Biometric Identification is a Recipe for Human Control

Take your Biometric code
entered into a database that is networked with other databases along with a pinch of RFID technology and you now have yourself a human global ID and tracking system.

Just what could one do with one of those?

Imagine the possibilities….Please!  Consider the possibilities

Our government is!

If
we permit these steps (Biometric collection, retention and sharing, the connecting of databases and RFID enabled documents) to be taken- then we have just handed over to others the ability to control us physically, financially and spiritually

It is my sincere belief that if we allow the elements of a national ID to be implemented our children will live in an America that vastly different than the one we live in now. It will be an America that was in no way resembles the country our founders envisioned.

If we allow this system to be imposed on us the America we will become will make a mockery of the principles that this country was founded up upon. Home of the brave? No. We are on our way to becoming the land of the watched and home of the terrified.

Once those databases are linked they will not be undone. Our federal government, private corporations and international bodies will then have the ability to separate us from buying, selling, traveling, working, receiving health care and a host of other of life’s necessities. Whether by malice, mistake or simply due to the inevitable glitches that are present even in the best of data management systems, our ability to secure our basic needs can be taken from us.

Trust the Government?

–In early 1995 more than 500 Internal Revenue Service agents were caught illegally snooping into the tax records of thousands of Americans — often friends and celebrities. The IRS claimed that its new privacy protection measures would protect against a recurrence. But earlier this year, scores of IRS agents were again caught illegally investigating taxpayers’ personal records. Source-the CATO Institute

Who’s Really Looking Out for You?

Essentially, your federally mandated Real ID or PASS ID card will be what grants you the ability to go about your necessary, daily life functions. Our Natural Rights are granted to us by virtue of birth by our Creator- Our rights to life, liberty, property . . .those are the un-a-lien-able (intrinsic, non-transferred)rights of every one of us since the moment we entered this world!

Will you allow anyone to wield the power to separate you from the essential rights you came into this world possessing as a human being? It is not hard to grasp the danger that such a system presents to a free people.

If you think that Real ID, tagging, tracking or the push for a National ID is in response to the threat of terrorism and 9-11, you are mistaken.

It is a reoccurring theme tackled by administration after administration.  In fact, until the 9 11 attack, every time the issue of national ID systems has been raised, Congress or another authority said NO and usually tacked on more protective legislation to boot!

Ronald Reagan, famously responded “My God, that’s the mark of the beast.” when he was confronted with the idea of, not just a national ID, but the actual suggestion of tattooing a number on each American.

More from the CATO Institute below;

— The ID card is hardly a novel idea. The concept once surfaced in a Reagan cabinet meeting in 1981. Then-Attorney General William French Smith argued that a perfectly harmless ID card system would be necessary to reduce illegal immigration. A second cabinet member asked: why not tattoo a number on each American’s forearm? According to Martin Anderson, the White House domestic policy adviser at the time, Reagan blurted out “My god, that’s the mark of the beast.”, as Anderson wrote, “that was the end of the national identification card” during the Reagan years.  H.R. 231 is proof that bad ideas never die in Washington; they just wait for another day. H.R. 231 was a bill propose in 1997 “To improve the integrity of the Social Security card and to provide for criminal penalties for fraud and related activity involving work authorization documents for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act.” http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6086

 

Mark Lerner of the Constitutional Alliance made this statement when he recently addressed the Michigan House of Representatives;

“Lawmakers at the state and federal level have been assured American’s personal information was not being shared with foreign governments.  Obviously information is being shared through aamva.net (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) There is also Robert Mocny’s, of DHS, comments about sharing information with Europe, Asia and corporations to create a global security envelope ”

http://www.gcn.com/print/26_03/43061-1.html

“Mocny sketched a federal plan to extend biometric data sharing to Asian and European
governments and corporations, so as to create a Global Security Envelope of identity management.”

 

Finally, an article in the Washington Post recently specifically addresses the collecting and potential sharing of American’s personal information with foreign governments.  It is noteworthy that DHS posted their intentions in the Federal Register.  It took a month for any media outlet to discover the positing in the Federal Register

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/08/19/AR2008081902811_2.html

Countries obligated to share data, U.S. official says

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=35574&ref=rellink

—Mocny said governments should work together to build “a global infrastructure” of technology and systems to share information while ensuring that privacy protections and ethical practices are in place. He said “it makes no sense” to build “separate and disparate systems that don’t talk to each other.”

If you feel overwhelmed by the myriad of issues facing us that threaten to destroy the founding principles of the United States, let me suggest a course of action that stands a chance to protect us against most of the worst of it.

Let your representatives know that you want our state to pass these bills;

HB 2810 the Sovereignty Protection Act by Rep. Charles Key

HB 2943 Biometric Driver License Religious Exemption Act by Rep. Sally Kern

HB 2569
Prohibiting RFID in Oklahoma drivers licenses by Rep. Paul Wesselhoft

The Tenth Amendment Resolution, HJR 1028 was passed last session after Gov Brad Henry vetoed HJR 1003 because he said it suggested, among other things, that Oklahoma should return federal tax dollars.

The Tenth Amendment Resolution was the first steps warning the federal government to respect our right to govern within the constitutionally guaranteed sphere of authority allotted to state governments.

HB 2810 the Sovereignty Protection Act has become known as “The Tenth with Teeth”

HB 2810 states; “In light of the continuing unconstitutional withholding of the benefits of the taxes, the State of Oklahoma hereby asserts its claim of sovereignty.”

Explanation of HB 2810

Right now we pay our federal taxes directly to the IRS and the federal government takes it and hold it over our heads to get the states to do the federal government’s bidding.

HB 2810 is designed to reverse that role.

If HB2810 passes then we will all send our federal taxes to the state government who will in turn pay them to the federal government for all of us.

If the federal government should do something that the state of Oklahoma believes is not in accordance with the constitution, (there is a procedure for doing this) then the state can delay or even withhold the funds.

It gives the state government some clout by which it can protect the sphere of authority that is rightfully ours in which to govern.

Putting TEETH into the TENTH!

Read the Bill HB 2810

http://tinyurl.com/OklahomaTenth

We The People will have to step up to the plate now and be willing to do whatever it takes to get their attention. This is too big of an issue to just to leave to chance. Our elected officials need our input. They may need more information and encouragement from us. Let’s do whatever it takes to stop this system from being imposed upon us including making personal visits, handwritten letters and phone calls, emails. Letters to the Editor call the media and ask them to cover this issue. Let’s be thinking of more creative ways of getting the message across too.

Call your representative and find out where he or she stands on the Tenth Amendment, Real ID and the PASS ID ACT, RFID tracking, biometric identification and personal information sharing.

These issues are not drawn on party lines.  These are issues that if not properly countered will have untold adverse effect on the rights we all assume at birth. I am no Biblical scholar, but the implications of these national ID systems, in that respect, are unmistakable.

2/14/10

Kaye Beach

_________________________________________________________________

Ask Sen. Coburn to take a pass on PASS ID!

Senator Tom Coburn’s

(click for) Town Halls

Please respectfully remind Senator Tom Coburn of the fact that Oklahoma passed SB 464 prohibiting The Real ID Act from being implemented in this state.  Sen. Coburn is a ranking member on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs and this committee is critical to the passage of Real ID II-The PASS ID

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano is trying to salvage Real ID with S 1261: PASS ID Act.   This measure does little more than give Real ID a name change and very superficial make over

On June 15, 2009, S. 1261, the “Providing for Additional Security in States’ Identification Act of 2009″ or the “Pass ID Act” was introduced in the Senate.(The PASS ID Act)

The PASS ID Act does not improve the most objectionable aspects of the Real ID Act of 2005.  For example;

1. The PASS ID Act requires a biometric facial image on all state driver’s licenses and ID cards. Just like Real ID. Facial recognition software, biometric scans, and radio frequency tracking along with linking of widely disparate databases taking place, will make truly pervasive surveillance and control of populations possible for the first time

2.  The PASS ID Act would allow a RFID chip to be embedded in the licenses.

3.  PASS ID prohibits federal agencies from accepting any non-compliant forms of ID for official purposes like boarding an airplane, entering a federal building or receiving benefits like Social Security. 2   (Remember-these are tax-payer funded institutions and programs!)

4. National ID systems such as PASS ID create inherent and substantial risks of fraud and identity theft. If the bill becomes law, it would establish a national ID card. 3 More than 2 dozen states have either passed laws or developed measures opposing Real ID.

5. In 2007, Oklahoma lawmakers passed SB 464, which states that “The state of Oklahoma shall not participate in the implementation of the REAL ID Act of 2005.” More than 2 dozen states have either passed laws or developed measures opposing Real ID.

The people and their representatives have clearly spoken-NO REAL ID!

click-Dates, Times Sen Coburn Townhalls plus contact info and sample email/letter/fax

See www.stoprealidcoalition.com for more info

1, 2 and 3.  http://epic.org/privacy/pass_id/

The Scoop on Real ID in Oklahoma

 

If you are an advocate for constitutional government, you will want to attend this event;

 

 The People of this state that appreciate the value of constitutionally principled government are urged to attend the “Citizens Assembly for Oklahoma Sovereignty”

January 3, 2009

7pm

Character Training Institute

 

 

 Map/directions

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Character+First+Training+Center++Oklahoma+City&sll=35.467519,-97.522325&sspn=0.012373,0.027895&g=520+W.+Main,+Oklahoma+City&ie=UTF8&z=13&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=35.467159,-97.522636&panoid=WzMvL4hZdZ1PEDi2NDd5nQ&cbp=12,68.26592367382496,,0,-4.928042642301351

It also features a street view

 

 

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We are fortunate to have legislators in this state that take their oath of office to “support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma” seriously.  Some of our best representatives have begun a bold legislative effort in a bid to uphold the rights of the people that are threatened by the unwarranted intrusions of national government into the sovereign affairs of the state of Oklahoma.   

Now, we are now called upon to do our part.

 

 This assembly is an opportunity to demonstrate how powerfully attached we are to keeping a representative form of government and how dearly we want to be free from government tracking the details of our lives.  Biometrics, Real ID, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and SB 717

 On this occasion, the numbers will count!  By our numbers we will be reinforcing the work of our representatives to constrain our government to its legitimate, Constitutional bounds. By our numbers we can encourage the officials who waver and instruct the ones who would exceed the limits of government.

The national government has indicated its intent to limit our unalienable rights by strong-arm tactics as illustrated by mandates such as the Real ID Act which would force us to submit to the collection of personal, biometric identifiers.  That data is intended to be shared not only on a national level but internationally as well.

 I am very pleased to tell you that Senator Constance N. Johnson and State Representative Charles Key will be our guest speakers. They will tell us about the legislative efforts to address faulty practices regarding personal and biometric information collection, storage and sharing that put us all at risk.

Last June news of the Tenth Amendment Resolution went viral online, blazing across the Internet passed excitedly from one American to another. Charles Key’s robust resolution, meant to remind the federal government of their clearly enumerated powers per the Bill of Rights, captured the interest and goodwill of people across the nation and has earned our state a high profile as a pivot point on matters pertaining to state sovereignty.

Senator Johnson of Oklahoma said very descriptively that that the Real ID Act “smelled like a can of worms and should be rethought”  She’s not alone in wrinkling her nose at this act which that was tacked onto a supplemental war funding and tsunami relief bill and passed without debate by Congress  in 2005.  Senator Johnson registered her displeasure by sponsoring legislation to ban Oklahoma from participation.  Bill 464 was passed in May. 2007 clearly states

The summary for SB 464;

 An Act relating to motor vehicles; providing legislative findings; prohibiting state from implementing certain act; directing the Department of Public Safety not to implement certain act and to report certain attempts to the Governor and Legislature; prohibiting state from collecting data for certain documents; requiring retrieval and deletion of certain biometric data; providing an exception; defining term; providing for codification; and providing an effective date.

The Dept. of Motor Vehicles for some reason took it upon them to ask for an extension from DHS which has Oklahoma in the posture of future compliance, at least in the view of the federal government.  The directives in 464 seem crystal clear to me but maybe the DMV is “interpreting” in the same manner some of our dear leaders do with the US Constitution.  I am baffled by this.  A DMV spokesma  stated that a request for extension “was issued” and then he proceeded to do the Colonel Klink “I know nothink!” routine.

CNET article on this;

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9885311-38.html

After doing a bit more digging, I found that Gov. Henry wrote a letter to DHS and requested the extension. 

You can read the details here;

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9885311-38.html

 

 

SB 464 directly states;

The Legislature finds that the enactment into law by the United States Congress of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005[. . .] is inimical to the security and well-being of the people of Oklahoma, will cause approximately Eight Million Dollars ($8,000,000.00) in added expense and inconvenience to our state, and was adopted by the United States Congress in violation of the principles of federalism contained in the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=449091

 

These two speakers will share their thoughts about up-coming measures and will also be able to explain what we can do to help support legislators who are willing step out of the political safety zone and stand on principle.

I am also happy to tell you that Mark Lerner, Co-founder of the Constitutional Alliance, will be present to give us the inside scoop on this and other similar efforts around the country. The Constitutional Alliance is an organization that has succeeded in bringing cohesion to many groups dedicated to the preservation of state and national sovereignty and essential individual rights.

 Mark has consistently taken the high road by keeping his assertions firmly anchored by verifiable facts.  This credibility standard is what helps makes the Constitutional Alliance a force to be reckoned with.   He, along with other C.A. (Constitutional Alliance) members have crafted model legislation designed to preserve our liberties and put an end to the this awful plan to track law abiding citizens.  To say Mark Lerner is driven would be an understatement but for the sake of brevity I will give a link for you to find out more about work of the C.A. http://stoprealidcoalition.com/

 

The Constitutional Alliance’s mission statement;

http://stoprealidcoalition.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=15

 The C.A. is has focused much of its resources on our state largely because Oklahoma, true to its claim of “Sooner Spirit” is leading the way by taking a strong stance against  the overbearing central government. 

This is a call for action that if attended to properly may prove to be very rewarding, unlike the recent fiasco when our representatives, who were in Washington and apparently too deafened by distance or dazzled and distracted by D.C. to hear us when we raised a din of opposition to against bailing out irresponsible banks.

And we are fortunate in our state to have a good handful of elected officials that will fight for to uphold the constitution and that the ones that will not, illustrating the genius of state sovereignty, are still close enough to be pinched.  This is precisely why we have to seize this opportunity that comes in the eleventh hour, to make resounding demand that our state hold fast to our founding contract.  If we, the “governed by consent”, fail to take the steps necessary to make it known that we do not consent to these tyrannical mandates we are likely to see our promised federation continue to be devoured by the central government as it continues to consolidate power at a breakneck pace. 

 We are also fortunate that a number of the founders were cautious and exacting men that jousted with Hamilton in order to provide us the tools by which to avoid just such an eventuality.  The Tenth Amendment, though somewhat rusty now from disuse, is one of those tools.

Visible and vigorous support for the members of the Oklahoma State Legislators now cannot be overstated.