Be Afraid... be VERY AFRAID! "Big Brother" Bill - Part II

Senate Bill S.1261, also known as the PASS Act, is little more than a re-write of the previously unsuccessful REAL ID act. Here's the latest information on exactly how easy it is to track you under this egregiously intrusive act. The following is quoted from Yahoo! Tech, referencing an experiment conducted, and an article written by, TODD LEWAN, AP National Writer - Sun Jul 12, 2009 6:10AM EDT:

"Climbing into his Volvo, outfitted with a Matrics antenna and a Motorola reader he'd bought on eBay for $190, Chris Paget cruised the streets of San Francisco with this objective: To read the identity cards of strangers, wirelessly, without ever leaving his car.

It took him 20 minutes to strike hacker's gold.

Zipping past Fisherman's Wharf, his scanner downloaded to his laptop the unique serial numbers of two pedestrians' electronic U.S. passport cards embedded with radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags. Within an hour, he'd "skimmed" four more of the new, microchipped PASS cards from a distance of 20 feet.

Increasingly, government officials are promoting the chipping of identity documents as a 21st century application of technology that will help speed border crossings, safeguard credentials against counterfeiters, and keep terrorists from sneaking into the country.

But Paget's February experiment demonstrated something privacy advocates had feared for years: That RFID, coupled with other technologies, could make people trackable without their knowledge"

The artice then goes on to say, "But with advances in tracking technologies coming at an ever-faster rate, critics say, it won't be long before governments could be able to identify and track anyone in real time, 24-7, from a cafe in Paris to the shores of California.

On June 1, it became mandatory for Americans entering the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean to present identity documents embedded with RFID tags, though conventional passports remain valid until they expire.

Among new options are the chipped "e-passport," and the new, electronic PASS card — credit-card sized, with the bearer's digital photograph and a chip that can be scanned through a pocket, backpack or purse from 30 feet.

Alternatively, travelers can use "enhanced" driver's licenses embedded with RFID tags now being issued in some border states: Washington, Vermont, Michigan and New York. Texas and Arizona have entered into agreements with the federal government to offer chipped licenses, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recommended expansion to non-border states. Kansas and Florida officials have received DHS briefings on the licenses, agency records show."

I posted a previous warning about Senate Bill S.1261 here on July 6th, 2009. This report appears to substantiate my expressed concerns over such deviously deceptive devices. If you are unfamiliar with those concerns I suggest you read that posting.

And remember... for each "technological advancement" there is an equal but opposite counter-technology advancement to exploit it.

There's still an outside chance I could be wrong about this... but the odds of that are dwindling rapidly!

For the complete Yahoo! article see (http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090712/ap_on_hi_te/us_chipping_america_iv_abridged_3)

Be Afraid... be VERY AFRAID! Senate Bill S.1261: "Big Brother" Bill

Senate Bill S.1261, also known as the PASS Act, is a rehash of the previously failed REAL ID Act. This egregiously intrusive act is in committee now and, if passed, will open the door to -

1. Participation in an internationally compatible biometric identification system for all Americans. This would allow you to be identified in any country, by any government, in the world.

2. It may require a "National Driver's License" which, although not openly stated in the bill, may include an RFID chip (Radio Frequency Identification Chip). The RFID would allow your movements to be traced by any goverment, in any country in the world! (It is rumored that without the RFID, people will no longer be able to buy or sell necessities, get medical treatment, etc... which smells strongly of burning sulfur - as in "the mark of The Beast".)

Although neither of the above actions is specifically stated in the wording of S.1261, the wording does not prohibit such actions. Government never fails to take full advantage of any legal loophole, and now there is a left-wing supermajority in Congress. How much do you trust your government? If there's any question in your mind, ask a Native American how well those government treaties worked out for them.

This is a less-than-obvious attempt to circumvent the 1st, 4th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America, and an unnecessary intrusion into our right to personal privacy. Between the potential for biometric ID, and the RFID chip, and the nation-wide improper use of our Social Security Number, we subjects could be tracked anywhere in the world! The Federal Driver's License will be an intrusion upon "States Rights" - rights guaranteed to the states by the 10th Amendment: "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." What other potentials are there in a bill like S. 1261? Does it sound like we could be moved a few steps closer to a One World Government?

Prior to the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, several states had used SSANs as their drivers license number. The law went into effect on December 17, 2005, and applies to all licenses, registrations, and state identification cards issued after that date. Under federal mandate, state DMV's are now refusing to issue or renew a driver license unless one provides their social security number, but it is no longer allowed to be used as the drivers license number. This expanded use of the SSN intrudes into one's privacy and jeopardizes one's credit, personal safety and financial security. There is an increased potential for abuse by government. Another concern is that these federal standards are being imposed in an area which has always been under state control, creating a de facto national ID.

The issuance of a single, unique number to Americans raises the risk that the SSN will become a de jure or de facto national identifier. This risk is not new; it was voiced at the creation of the SSN and has since been raised repeatedly. The SSN was created in 1936 for the sole purpose of accurately recording individual worker's contributions to the social security fund. The public and legislators were immediately suspicious and distrustful of this tracking system fearing that the SSN would quickly become a system containing vast amounts of personal information, such as race, religion and family history, that could be used by the government to track down and control the action of citizens. Public concern over the potential for abuse inherent in the SSN tracking system was so high, that in an effort to dispel public concern the first regulation issued by the Social Security Board declared that the SSN was for the exclusive use of the Social Security system. However, try getting anything without giving your SSAN to the requesting party. You need to surrender it for telephone service, utilities, to get a credit card, medical service (thank you HIPPA) or to get a mortgage, etc. It has already become your de facto National ID.

Many medical providers are using the SSN as a patient identifier, thus hardening the number as a de facto national identifier. As David Miller noted in testimony before the National Committee on Vital Health Statistics:

"It should be noted that the 1993 WEDI [Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange] Report, Appendix 4, Unique Identifiers for the Health Care Industry, Addendum 4 indicated 71% of the payers responding to the survey based the individual identifier on the Member's Social Security Number. However 89% requested the insured's Social Security Number for application of insurance. Clearly the Social Security Number is the current de facto identifier..."

Unfortunately, not everything is as it should be. We are co-opted into exposing our SSN in order to get necessary goods and/or services, and our Congress has not made it illegal for anyone other than the Social Security Administration and the IRS to require revealing our SSAN.

Who wants a national ID card? How about Senator Charles "Chuck" Schumer (D-NY)? Schumer widely takes credit for getting the first mass amnesty passed in 1986. He has worked with Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.) ever since to ensure that immigration laws aren't enforced. Now he says that we shouldn't require E-Verify because it isn't tough enough? What he wants is a national bio-metric ID card. Big Brother is alive and well, and in the U.S. Senate!

S. 1216 is "in committee" as this Blog is being posted. The names of the Senators on that committee are:

Sen Akaka

Sen Bennet

Sen Burris

Sen Carper

Sen Coburn

Sen Collins

Sen Ensign

Sen Graham

Sen Landrieu

Sen Lieberman

Sen Levin

Sen McCain

Sen McCaskill

Sen Pryor

Sen Tester

Sen Voinovich

If you are a constituent of any of the above-named Senators, please telephone them at (202) 224-4524 (Senate Office Building), and voice your objection to this heretofore secret bill. You can probably guess WHY it was a secret! The lefties are in the majority now, and if you don't make your voice heard, tomorrow may be too late. For a "transparent administration" there sure is a lot of secret backroom legislation going on...

Obama Desires to Bill Military Members for War and Service Related Injuries!"

The following are quoted excerpts from "Our Voice" the American Legions' online e-zine - "WASHINGTON, DC (March 16, 2009) – The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization says he is “deeply disappointed and concerned” after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases."

The article goes on to say, “It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan,” said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. “He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it. There is simply no logical explanation for billing a veteran’s personal insurance for care that the VA has a responsibility to provide. While we understand the fiscal difficulties this country faces right now, placing the burden of those fiscal problems on the men and women who have already sacrificed a great deal for this country is unconscionable.”

"Unconscionable"? That word doesn't begin to describe my feelings toward the actions of your liberal, lying, left-wing, cowardly "leader". A man who, without any military experience whatsoever, is suddenly the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces. A man who has so little respect, consideration, or compassion for those who have been placed in harm's way - by the government - that he would even consider such an outrageous plan. Despicable is the word that comes immediately to mind ... followed by unconscionable, and a few other words that I won't post here.

Want to save the taxpayers some money? It could easily begin with an across-the-board 50% pay cut for the members of Congress. That would save the taxpayers $46,477,250 per annum! Congressional office, mail, and staff allowances could also be halved.

In 2003 the total amount of allowance provided to Members of the House ranged from $701,136 to $1,636,750. Members do not have to use all of the money allotted to them in their allowances. (Each Member is allotted $748,312 to hire up to 18 staff and four additional temporary, part-time, of shared staff. Staff cannot be paid more than $151,974 per year.) That's a mean average of roughly $1,169,000 per representative. (Source: Congressional Research Service, January 26, 2004)

In 2003 the total amount of all three allowances provided to Senators ranged from $2,264,345 to $3,751,995 for a mean average of $3,008,170. Senators do not have a limit on the amount staff they can hire! (Source: Congressional Research Service, January 26, 2004) I think most people could run an office on $1.5 million per year - everybody I know could! The only thing you couldn't do would be to throw lavish parties for your supporters.

So, what would be the result of forcing military members to pay for their own health care? The immediate and most noticeable result, would be a sharp decline in enlistments and re-enlistments in our armed forces - especially those most likely to find themselves in the midst of armed combat, the Army and Marines. Our military would be reduced to the point where national defense would fall, once again, squarely on the shoulders of the "citizen soldier" ... shades of 1776! My assumption here is that your liberal, left-wing government would actually desire national defense. They believe that insufficient numbers of trained military will make the handover of our country that much easier - especially if they can pull off a nationwide gun grab.

A less obvious result of forcing our military members to pay for their own health care would be putting the government one step closer to realizing the control they can exert over the citizenry with a "National Health Plan". Old? Handicapped? Reached those non-productive years of retirement? Report to the nearest Soylent Corporation office - the year 2022 isn't that far off.

Obama has shown his true color ever since his inauguration. He's neither black nor white - his true color is communist red! This unqualified and unprepared usurper was elected to the most powerful position in the free world, by the sheep of our nation - the entitlement whores! God save us from ourselves ...

I could be wrong about this ... and Obama could care about the future of our country. FAT CHANCE!