PA Real ID Hearing

[addicted2freedom]

When
Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 10:00 AM

Where
University of Scranton
Redington Hall- Collegiate Room 1120 Linden St
Scranton , PA 18510

Who should come
Anyone who is against the REAL ID Act!!

Why
No Real ID in PA!

Details
This hearing is the third out of four public hearings that Rep. Curtis Thomas (D- Philadelphia) has called on Real ID. The two prior meetings were in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the fourth will be held in Erie. In Philadelphia it was a small but passionate event. In Pittsburgh, over 100 people in opposition showed up and calmly voiced their displeasure to the panel.

The official stance of our state government is that they are still deciding whether to comply and that we should contact our federal congressmen to get them to get rid of Real ID. The State government is just trying to pass the buck to the federal government when the reality is they can choose to pass HB 1351 Against Real ID because the people demand it despite the "consequences".

Background
While our state government likes to talk about so called deadlines being moved to 2010 to give them time to "decide" whether or not to comply, Penn Dot is rapidly getting into compliance with Real ID. They have already put biometric "Face Explore" technology into use, and have started a 15-day waiting period for a "background check" as mandated by the Real ID Act. Penn Dot has signed a contract with Visage Technologies for $45.5 Million Taxpayer dollars to help them get into compliance with Real ID. So while our state legislators are trying to pacify us by holding public hearings so they can make a "decision", another branch of our government is working rapidly to comply with Real ID well before any so-called "deadlines".

We must tell our government to "Cancel the Contract" between Visage and Penn Dot.

[addicted2freedom]

Attention! If you cannot attend the hearing, you can still help!

At the Real ID hearing in Pittsburgh, only 2 state representatives bothered to show up. We need more to show up to the hearing, so in preparation for the Real ID hearing in Scranton, PA on May 8th, we need to call state representatives to kindly make our displeasure known again (here's another writeup), request they co-sponsor HB 1351 (PA Real ID Non-Compliance Bill), and encourage them to attend the hearing.

To do so download this spreadsheet and call the PA representatives WITHOUT a 'Yes' in their column. If you so inclined, you can give the 'Yes' people a call and thank them for their co-sponsorship.

Here's a little script to follow if a secretary answers:

Hello, my name is _________ and I am calling from ________ County. Pennsylvania is holding their last hearing for REAL ID next Thursday and I urge you to cosponsor House Bill 1351 in order to reject the act.

Thank you.

Here's another script if you actually speak with the state rep (modify as you deem necessary):

Hello, my name is _________ and I am calling from ________ County. I oppose PA's compliance with the unconstitutional Real ID Act. Pennsylvania is holding their last Real ID hearing in Scranton next Thursday, May 8th. I urge you to attend the meeting to learn more about the Real ID Act and its opposition. Subsequently, I request that you co-sponsor House Bill 1351 to reject compliance with the Real ID Act.

Thank you.

If you can't attend the hearing, make the calls!


Note: I'm awaiting receipt of an updated list of co-sponsors for the equivalent PA State Senate Bill.

[addicted2freedom]

For anyone in Harrisburg or willing to travel to Harrisburg, consider paying some state reps a visit

[addicted2freedom]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...94590125948082

[Salt]

Do we or do we not have biometric cameras and a database for ID's as of right now in Penndot DL Centers? The gentleman on that video made it seem like its already inplace as far as a biometric camera and a databse for anyone who gets their picture taken.

[addicted2freedom]

Originally Posted by Salt

Do we or do we not have biometric cameras and a database for ID's as of right now in Penndot DL Centers? The gentleman on that video made it seem like its already inplace as far as a biometric camera and a databse for anyone who gets their picture taken.

Many of the mandated benchmarks for the Real ID Act are already implemented by PennDOT. This is one of them. Your DL photo is now taken with a high-resolution camera, which is 1) available at the swipe of your card and 2) digitized and processed with facial recognition software. Then it's all stored in a state database, which will be shared between states, and most likely with the US, Mexican, and Canadian governments.

That's why he was talking about informed consent. The DL center does not tell you what is being done with your photo.

[addicted2freedom]

By the way, the cops are getting into the biometric business too: http://lone.client.shareholder.com/r...leaseID=208996

[Salt]

Do you know how long this has been inplace? I am up to get a new photo for my 4 year and this makes me not want to go. I am SHOCKED that this is the
1st time I have ever heard about this. A database is one thing. You loose your license and they can pull up your old photo and just print up a new card, I can deal with that. But facial recogniation software is a scary notion. I will at the least call my state rep and try to make it to the hearing. This is scary stuff.

[addicted2freedom]

Originally Posted by Salt

Do you know how long this has been inplace? I am up to get a new photo for my 4 year and this makes me not want to go. I am SHOCKED that this is the
1st time I have ever heard about this. A database is one thing. You loose your license and they can pull up your old photo and just print up a new card, I can deal with that. But facial recogniation software is a scary notion. I will at the least call my state rep and try to make it to the hearing. This is scary stuff.

According to the contract between PennDOT and Viisage, it was to be implemented between 10/02/06-09/30/07. I can't find a source from PennDOT, Viisage, or from elsewhere to verify its implementation. I believe it though... corporations don't typically fault on governmental contracts.

After all, I didn't get the memo that an RFID chip would be in my passport....

[addicted2freedom]

I emailed one of the people leading the charge against the Real ID in PA. His reply is below:

The contract that PennDOT has with Viisage states that the FaceEXPLORE software would be installed by November 2007. However that didn't happen. The installation of the software was not finished until 31 January 2008. I spoke with Cindy Cashman from PennDOT who told me that. At the Real ID hearing in Pittsburgh Mr. Myers, the Deputy Secretary for PennDOT's Safety Administration stated,

"Regardless of whether Pennsylvania decides to implement the REAL ID Act, PennDOT is and will remain committed to enhancing the security of our products, processes, systems and facilities and maintaining the privacy of customer data. In fact, as an example, PennDOT recently completed an upgrade of its photo technology and equipment at its Photo License Centers across the Commonwealth. With this upgrade, all driver's license products, including photo identification cards, are outfitted with a new overlay and security features. The new overlay and security features help to mitigate the risk for fraud."

"PennDOT, also as part of this upgrade, is now issuing temporary driver's licenses and photo identification cards to individuals who have never held a Pennsylvania driver's license or photo ID, such as new drivers and new residents. The temporary product is valid for 15 days. During the 15-day period, PennDOT uses state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to validate that the applicant does not have more than one driver's license or photo ID card already issued under a different identity. PennDOT is also using this technology to conduct facial recognition checks of all images we have stored in our database to determine if multiple records exist for one individual."

PennDOT is already using the FaceEXPLORE software and converting our digital photos into biometric images. That's the "state-of-the-art facial recognition technology. PennDOT has done this without our permission and is blatantly violating our right to privacy. As long as we have done nothing wrong and we have not given PennDOT permission to create a blue print of our face, PennDOT has no authority to do what they are doing.

Homeland Security wants that biometric image to be included in their global data base. Per the Security and Prosperity Partnership "2005 Report to Leaders" stated under their Biometrics and secure documentation vision, "We will devise a single, integrated global enrollment program for North American trusted traveler programs within the next 36 months." The Real ID Act of 2005 makes the state driver license process the enrollment program for our country. You can read the "2005 Report to Leaders" at www.spp.gov.