[Infowarrior] - DHS Strategy On Real ID: We'll Just Pretend Everyone Implemented It

[Richard Forno]

New DHS Strategy On Real ID: We'll Just Pretend Everyone Implemented It
from the hell-no-means-yes dept
http://techdirt.com/articles/20080403/005107735.shtml

The Department of Homeland Security had been threatening that drivers'
licenses in certain states wouldn't be valid federal IDs if states didn't
promise by the end of March to implement the troubled Real ID rules.
However, somewhere along the line (with a handful of states vehemently
protesting the rules), it appears that Secretary Chertoff and the DHS simply
decided that it would pretend every state agreed to implement Real ID and
deal with reality later. DHS put out a press release claiming that all
states had met the "initial requirements" for Real ID, and even painted its
silly map green to show "compliance." The problem is that this simply isn't
true. It looks as though DHS simply decided that any communication, even if
it was to tell the DHS that there was no chance the state would implement
Real ID, would be read as if it were the state agreeing to enact Real ID's
rules. The whole thing is rather comical until you realize these are the
folks who are supposed to be protecting the country.