With a few strokes of the pen, America's intelligence infrastructure heads for a massive overhaul. A new national intelligence director, some changes to border and aviation security all done under the radar. One of the most significant changes you will see in line at the D.M.V.
"One of the most important parts of this intelligence bill directs the secretary of transportation on the federal level to work with the secretary of Homeland Security to develop minimum standards for driver's licenses nationwide," said Raymond Martinez who is the commissioner of New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
So within 18 months, secretaries of state and DMV officials from across the country will work out a plan to bring 50 different licenses under the same federal security requirements.
That could mean adding difficult to duplicate holograms, magnetic strips, which are already in place in other states, that carry essential personal details, a digital photo database, and new verification measures to check social security numbers and birthdates. [ computer chips in the card ]
"What we found in New York is that many people were scamming the system, people who should not have had driver licenses because they were suspended in other states or in this state and they just changed their name a bit or their social security number. This will make the system more secure," said Martinez.
"Requiring standards for drivers licenses nationally sets the standard for a de facto national ID card," said Barrie Gewanter, New York Civil Liberties Union.
The A.C.L.U. has teamed up with some unlikely allies, including the American Conservative Union to oppose the provision.
They say it paves the foundation for a "big brother" society.
"There's a basic principle in American society that the government should be leaving us alone without any evidence of wrongdoing. That's one of the guarantees in the 4th amendment," said Gewanter.
With the changes now all but certain, the A.C.L.U. will focus its efforts on protecting civil rights it says may be compromised with the sweeping changes just a little over a year away.
12/17/2004 9:38 PM By: Jim Lokay ©2004 TWEAN News Channel of Syracuse
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