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HOUSE CALLS ON SANFORD TO PREVENT FEDERAL BACKLASH
I think the legislative spat of the session is finally upon us. Sure, we’ve had miniature scuffles over sprinklers, the budget, dueling and whether the state color should be blue, but there could be some serious drama over the Real ID program. And thank goodness, because I was getting really bored with all the nothing going on lately.
For those of you that have a life, the Real ID Act is a federally mandated program that requires states to impose new, tougher standards for getting identification. Failure to comply with the law would mean residents of that state could no longer use their driver’s license to board an airplane.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security gave states until March 31 to file for an extension. After that, people would instead be forced to use a passport, a military ID or undergo secondary security screening before they could travel on an airline. And of course, South Carolina is one of four states to neither comply nor file for an extension.
Besides a bunched of pissed off travelers, the obvious ramification is that South Carolina’s billion-dollar tourism industry could be severely hindered.
So why not just comply with law? The problem is that, while this law is federally mandated, it isn’t federally funded. Gov. Mark Sanford believes that implementing the strict guidelines would be too costly and would create much longer lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Then why not ask for an extension? This is where the disagreement arises. While Sanford and the legislature largely agree on that an unfunded mandate is absurd, Homeland Security believes nationwide implementation isn’t necessary until 2014, which is why states were given the opportunity to ask for an extension.
But Sanford has refused to do so out of principle. Asking for more time, he contends, implies that the state plans to comply. So today, the state House called on him to ask for an extension, something he is unlikely to do.
Speaker Bobby Harrell:
[audio:realidquote.mp3]
And that, kids, is the first chapter of the 2008 version of the bitter Sanford v. General Assembly showdown. I don’t want to give anything away, but in the next chapter, a major character may or may not die…
“Homeland Security believes nationwide implementation isn’t necessary until 2014″
Homeland security is wrong; in reality, nationwide implementation of this program isn’t necessary.
And I fail to see how this could hurt South Carolina tourism; we are a tourist *destination*.
People will be flying in from other states, states with governments that have no backbone and won’t resist this sort of absurdity.
It’s a stupid program, it will waste enourmous amounts of money, it will inconvenience hundreds of millions of honest citizens, any hypothetical terrorist it would catch will choose one of the hundreds of other equally destructive terrorist acts to commit, and it will make it entirly too easy to violate the privacy of ordinary citizens.
Anyone who thinks a piece of plastic you get at the DMV can prevent terrorism is an idiot. Period.
The next big fight will be over the 276million dollars Sanford has rat holed at Health and Human Services. The House got 105 million of it…andthe question is if the house has guts enough to go after the other 150 mil that is available to come back to the treasury.
Sanford did a great job of robbing other agencies to hide this money…so I find it hard to believe he will let them have it. But NOW is when the really big back room deals will be cut.
So, if the Senate leaves the money at Health and Human Services…you know a WHOPPER was cut. Knowing that is simple. Knowing what the deal was will be the hard part.
Sanford is a fool that thinks principle is more important than progress.
Grow the fuc* up. Quit playing games with our lives, you arrogant fool.
Besides a bunched of pissed off travelers, the obvious ramification is a bunch of pissed off voters, if the truth be told. When people are told it’s Mark Sanford’s fault that they can’t get on a plane with their driver’s license, all hell will break loose for the governor.
But he’ll be standing on principle. That’s what counts.