Identity database, another attempt...

Well, you ungrateful wretches objected to our great 
employment database and national ID card plans when they 
were presented as a means of immigration control.  How 
about this, then:  We need an employment-tracking 
database and licenses for everything so we can crack
down on "deadbeat dads."  Now that sounds more plausible,
doesn't it!

Please?  We really want to track you closely.  It's for 
your own good, you know.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
AP reported on 10/12/95:

  Deadbeat parents beware: Pay up or lose your license. And not 
  just your driver's license. Your hunting, fishing, trapping,
  boating, occupational and professional licenses may be taken 
  away too. 
   
  That's the promise that Congress, intensifying the fight against 
  parents who refuse to support their children, intends to send to 
  millions of deadbeats as it writes final legislation to transform 
  the nation's anti-poverty programs. ...
 
  Central to [House and Senate proposals ...] is a requirement that 
  every state have a program to revoke or restrict the licenses of 
  parents who fail to pay, along with a central registry to track 
  new hiring and match employment records with child support 
  obligations.  ...

[Can you say "10th Amendment," Robert Dole?  I knew you could!
You are against this, aren't you Bob?  Bob?  Bob??!!]


  The Department of Health and Human Services ...  estimates that if
  every state had a license revocation program in place, child support
  collections would grow by $2.5 billion over 10 years. 

[During which time the federal government will spend $20,000 billion.
Relative peanuts, in other words.]


  According to HHS, 32 states and Puerto Rico now have laws on the books to
  restrict or revoke driving privileges and professional, occupational or
  sporting licenses. ...     ^^^^^^^^^^


[Note that driving, necessary for living in most places, is now a 
*privilege* granted by the government.  In other words, *living* is
a government-granted privilege.]

  Paula Roberts, a child support expert with the Center for Law and 
  Social Policy, a liberal research and advocacy group in Washington, 
  said license revocation programs can be effective -- but only if 
  states have the necessary computers in place.  ...




Essay questions for extra credit:  

(1.) Explain how an advocate of the proposed system of monitoring 
and control could be considered "liberal."  

Or "conservative."


(2.) How many (ab)uses of this system are possible and
how long will it take for them to be implemented?


(3.) Compare and contrast this plan with the Soviet 
internal passport / labor book system.

[ Stuff about nat'l DB to track "deadbeat dads" removed ]
> (3.) Compare and contrast this plan with the Soviet 
> internal passport / labor book system.

	Not really related to the deadbeat dads thing, but we
got a notice that the US DOT has mandated that all air passengers
must present a gov't issue photo ID with a name that matches that
on your ticket.  In addition it says that passengers should:

	* be prepared to answer questions about their bags.
	* be prepared to open the trunk of their car.

	Goodbye freedom, hello police state.

---
Fletch                                                     __`'/|
fletch@ain.bls.com  "Lisa, in this house we obey the       \ o.O'    ______
404 713-0414(w)      Laws of Thermodynamics!" H. Simpson   =(___)= -| Ack. |
404 315-7264(h) PGP Print: 8D8736A8FC59B2E6 8E675B341E378E43  U      ------

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In list.cypherpunks, fletch@ain.bls.com writes:

>         Not really related to the deadbeat dads thing, but we
> got a notice that the US DOT has mandated that all air passengers
> must present a gov't issue photo ID with a name that matches that
> on your ticket.  In addition it says that passengers should:
>
>         * be prepared to answer questions about their bags.
>         * be prepared to open the trunk of their car.

Have you flown recently?  They now ask you this scripted question about
whether you have been approached by anyone you don't know since arriving
at the airport, and warn you not to accept anything from a stranger or
leave your carry-on baggage unattended until you board the plane.  The
ticket agent told me it was a "new FAA regulation".  I hadn't flown
anywhere for a few years.  Anyone know how long this has been happening?

>         Goodbye freedom, hello police state.

I wonder how long before I need a passport to cross a state line...

OBsecurity:  Both directions, I had to carry a PC-Bus servo controller
card.  It's not nice to x-ray an EPROM, so I had it hand-inspected.  I
wouldn't let them open the static bag without a strap.  Both times, the
guard gave it a casual glance and passed it through.  In San Antonio,
they x-rayed the box while I held the card.  This particular card
assembly is pretty large.  A dummied version would have a sizeable
hidden compartment.
- -- 
           Roy M. Silvernail     [ ]      roy@cybrspc.mn.org
PGP Public Key fingerprint =  31 86 EC B9 DB 76 A7 54  13 0B 6A 6B CC 09 18 B6
                Key available from pubkey@cybrspc.mn.org

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On Fri, 13 Oct 1995, Roy M. Silvernail wrote:

> Have you flown recently?  They now ask you this scripted question about
> whether you have been approached by anyone you don't know since arriving
> at the airport, and warn you not to accept anything from a stranger or
> leave your carry-on baggage unattended until you board the plane.  The
> ticket agent told me it was a "new FAA regulation".  I hadn't flown
> anywhere for a few years.  Anyone know how long this has been happening?

This probably dates back to the time when a palestinian group tried to 
blow up an El Al flight from London by persauding the pregnant Irish 
girlfriend of one to carry a package for a friend. Flights from London 
have had the spiel ever since. El Al still does the best pre-flight 
screening (much more detailed questioning, and the security staff 
actually listen to the answers.

Simon
----
(defun modexpt (x y n)  "computes (x^y) mod n"
  (cond ((= y 0) 1)   ((= y 1) (mod x n))
	((evenp y) (mod (expt (modexpt x (/ y 2) n) 2) n))
	(t (mod (* x (modexpt x (1- y) n)) n))))

On Thu, 12 Oct 1995, Brad Dolan wrote:

>   restrict or revoke driving privileges and professional, occupational or
>   sporting licenses. ...     ^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> 
> [Note that driving, necessary for living in most places, is now a 
> *privilege* granted by the government.  In other words, *living* is
> a government-granted privilege.]

Luckily other governments will still grant you driving licenses so you 
just have to take a foreign trip.

It's clear that the Federal Job Licensing system is meant to be 
extended to denial of work rights for deadbeat dadism, tax evasion, 
overdue library books, whatever.  Certainly encourages self employment.

DCF

"Do you have a moral right to register your kid.  Wait till he grows up 
and ask him if he wants to be registered."