From: Brad Dolan <bdolan@use.usit.net>
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: 8d3c649f300f428398dba4e612635987c43e1472a5dd277e86ef030341236597
Message ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.951012172747.18484C-100000@use.usit.net>
Reply To: N/A
UTC Datetime: 1995-10-12 21:35:07 UTC
Raw Date: Thu, 12 Oct 95 14:35:07 PDT
From: Brad Dolan <bdolan@use.usit.net>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 95 14:35:07 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Identity database, another attempt...
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.951012172747.18484C-100000@use.usit.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
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.
Return to October 1995
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