TIPS is dead along with a National ID card

[Linflas]

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, in his markup of legislation to create a Homeland Security Department, yesterday rejected a national identification card and scrapped a program that would use volunteers in domestic surveillance.

Full story here..

 

[wQuay]

Wow. I'm impressed.

 

[AZGamer]

Wow, the government actually listened and did something useful. Between this and the pledge, you almost see a pattern going....

 

[LordJezo]

WOO HOO!

The TIPS idea scared the hell out of me.. made me think of what the NAZIs did during the WWII era.

Lets just hope he keeps it from ever going into effect.

 

[Infos]

Hurrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy
See the Democrats are good for something

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Infos
Hurrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy
See the Democrats are good for something

I wasn't aware that Dick Armey (R)TX had changed parties.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: Linflas

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, in his markup of legislation to create a Homeland Security Department, yesterday rejected a national identification card and scrapped a program that would use volunteers in domestic surveillance.

Full story here..

Good, those programs seem just a bit too Orwellian for my tastes. The TIPS program is especially scary; too much potential for abuse.

 

[etech]

Good, those programs seem just a bit too Orwellian for my tastes. The TIPS program is especially scary; too much potential for abuse.

I'm not advocating those programs but I have to wonder. Will that sentiment change if some terrorists manage to pull off something like a dirty bomb attack in a major city? How a a smallpox attack in NYC?

We've only had the one major attack on American soil and it seems many people are becoming complacent already.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: etech

Good, those programs seem just a bit too Orwellian for my tastes. The TIPS program is especially scary; too much potential for abuse.

I'm not advocating those programs but I have to wonder. Will that sentiment change if some terrorists manage to pull off something like a dirty bomb attack in a major city? How a a smallpox attack in NYC?

We've only had the one major attack on American soil and it seems many people are becoming complacent already.

I don't think it is complacency rather there really is only so much you can do without changing our entire way of life and the liberties we are used to. After the LAX shooting all the talking heads were babbling on about why there was no security check points before the ticket counters. They completely ignored the fact that the total focus of airport security is all about keeping aircraft and passengers safe while they are flying. Sure we could set up security check points at all airport entrances but that then leaves the outside areas vulnerable so what next security check points on the arrival roads? There are no easy or simple answers to this and the best we can hope for is that law enforcement and intelligence agencies get good enough to continue to ferret out these plans before the attacks occur. The rest is just window dressing IMHO.

 

[cavingjan]

can't say I liked TIPS but I was looking forward to National ID. I think it would fix a lot of smaller problems in our lives in general. Moving to a new state wouldn't require going to the DMV to get a new drivers license, just update your address info and whatever else you need but keep the ID you have. It would also help the poor bouncers who would only need to know the current and some of the older variations of a national ID rather than their state plus the surrounding states and then you have someone from the other side of the country...

 

[gotsmack]

I think they should just standardize the driver's license. I have no problems with a national ID card. I'm already interning with the Army so they mostlikely have been keeping tabs on me since I got the 3 forms of ID they gave me.

 

[FrancesBeansRevenge]

Thank freakin god there is some common sense left in Washington.

 

[etech]

I don't think it is complacency rather there really is only so much you can do without changing our entire way of life and the liberties we are used to. After the LAX shooting all the talking heads were babbling on about why there was no security check points before the ticket counters. They completely ignored the fact that the total focus of airport security is all about keeping aircraft and passengers safe while they are flying. Sure we could set up security check points at all airport entrances but that then leaves the outside areas vulnerable so what next security check points on the arrival roads? There are no easy or simple answers to this and the best we can hope for is that law enforcement and intelligence agencies get good enough to continue to ferret out these plans before the attacks occur. The rest is just window dressing IMHO.

I was just at the airport yesterday. Before I pulled into short term parking a security guard checked out my vehicle. She gave a quick look around and even opened up the back hatch and looked inside. Was it an invasion of privacy, yes, but it didn't bother me or inconvience me for more than minute. Considering the alternative of some terrorist carrying bombs in their car I would rather be searched.

As cute as she was I wouldn't have minded if she wanted to frisk me either, but that's a story for another thread.

 

[alphatarget1]

but what's wrong with a National ID card? TIPS is bad but I don't see how National ID card will take away freedom :/

 

[Mister T]

You know you have been working for too long when you think

Treasury Inflation Protected Securities

when someone says TIPS

 

[TallBill]

yeah.. i would kinda like the national id thing too

 

[ElFenix]

it would be abused just like your social security number. i'm pretty sure you legally don't have to give that to anyone. or your DL, except the normal ID checks. you're within your rights to tell a car salesman that you won't give them your ID.

 

[HiveMaster]

The TIPS program would have allowed volunteers, including letter carriers and utility workers whose routines make them well-positioned to recognize suspect activities, to report suspect behavior to the Justice Department. It was scheduled to begin next month in 10 cities, with 1 million informants initially participating in the program.
"Mr. Armey believes there are other and better ways to involve citizens in the protection of the homeland," said Richard Diamond, the congressman's press secretary. "There are traditional ways of pitching in, helping out, like becoming a volunteer firefighter."

Or maybe they should just call the cops when they see some swarthy looking gentlemen talking about blowing up a building...

We already have a notification system in place...it is called the phone company.

Sanctioning people to snoop into our personal lives is sheer idiocy, an indication of how far away from reality and American Ideals this administration has gone, and just part and parcel of the conservative agenda.
Dick Armey took out this part of the legislation for one reason only: He knew that the Dems would kill them with it in the elections this November.

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
it would be abused just like your social security number. i'm pretty sure you legally don't have to give that to anyone. or your DL, except the normal ID checks. you're within your rights to tell a car salesman that you won't give them your ID.

hah, good luck getting by in life without giving out your social security number. :disgust:

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

:Q I'm VERY surprised! I would have thought for sure the whole national ID thing would have been set in place fairly easily.

nik

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: cavingjan
can't say I liked TIPS but I was looking forward to National ID. I think it would fix a lot of smaller problems in our lives in general. Moving to a new state wouldn't require going to the DMV to get a new drivers license, just update your address info and whatever else you need but keep the ID you have.

No it wouldn't. It would have been a national ID card, not a national driver's license. You'd still need to get a DL in the new state once you moved. If traffic laws are different in texas and rhode island, and you move from one to the other, what good does an ID card do you?

It would also help the poor bouncers who would only need to know the current and some of the older variations of a national ID rather than their state plus the surrounding states and then you have someone from the other side of the country...

Oh, I bet that's worth it. Set up a national ID card so that bouncers at clubs can spend less time looknig at the 1% of ID's that are from out of state.

 

[TallBill]

you have to rights to not give it to them.. and they reserve the rights to NOT sell you a car

 

[vi edit]

TIPS is dead along with a National ID card

YAY!

 

[cavingjan]

At least when I moved from PA to MD and Monica moved from IN to KY to MD we had no issues other than getting a new picture and changing addresses. Now getting the car registered is another can of worms. But a National ID is nothing more than the picture card that your drivers license is an ID number (not all that different from your social security number).