Can Publicans Stop You from Flying?

Imagine arriving at your local airport one morning for a domestic flight to a neighboring city. You approach the security checkpoint and the TSA lackey asks for your identification. After handing him your driver’s license, you prepare to be groped as you pass through the checkpoint.

But instead, the TSA man tells you your driver’s license is no longer accepted as identification for domestic flights. He asks you for your passport.

Unfortunately, you don’t have a passport. A few months ago, you received a letter from the State Department stating that since you owed the IRS money, your passport was hereby revoked, effective immediately. It further ordered you to turn your passport in.

You’re officially grounded – courtesy of the IRS.

But the most threatening aspect of the Real ID initiative is its creation of the equivalent of a national database to include details on 250 million licensed drivers. Each state must provide electronic access to the information contained in its motor vehicle database to all other states.

An interlinked system is a far greater security risk than a decentralized one, with each state issuing ID cards according to its own rules. That’s because if hackers manage to penetrate it, they’ll have access to identity documents in all 50 states, not just one. And not just driver’s licenses: The Real ID law requires that states store digital copies of the identification documents you present to qualify for your driver’s license. Hackers will be able to copy your birth certificate, your passport (if the State Department hasn’t confiscated it), your Social Security card, and any other document you submitted to get your “secure” driver’s license.

But what about the passport revocation measure? Won’t that lead to greatly increased tax compliance?

The answer is no, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. It estimates this measure will raise a measly $398 million in tax revenues over the next decade. That’s enough to pay for about 0.1% – one tenth of one percent – of estimated highway expenditures during that period.

In other words, these laws have nothing to do with fighting terrorism or raising revenue. They have a lot more to do with showing US citizens “who’s the boss.” And the boss is not you.

Laws like the Real ID Act and the FAST Act make it more important than ever to get a second passport. If you don’t qualify for a second passport by virtue of marriage or ancestry, it’s still possible to acquire one by making a contribution or investment to a handful of countries. In exchange, you’ll receive citizenship for life and a passport. The Commonwealth of Dominica’s second-citizenship program is the most affordable of these offerings, although there are at least six others. Incidentally, The Nestmann Group is the only official government-approved agent for the Dominica passport in the US.

It only makes sense to obtain a second passport, “just in case.”

Reprinted with permission from Nestmann.com.

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