Real ID, HB 1582

[JonM]

There's an election just over 6 months . . .

[Dreepa]

Bradley and Bass up for re election.
Senators in NH are not up for election this year.

They can be impeached.

[Russell Kanning]

Front page of CM today:

http://concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/REPOSITORY/60503002

?I think I would feel a hell of a lot different before 9/11,? said Sen. Robert Flanders, a Republican from Antrim. ?But if we don?t do this, and all the other states do, we?re going to be a haven for terrorists and that kind of thing.?

Nice fearmongering, senator.

Flanders said he?d received an e-mail from Gregg and a phone call from Bradley urging him to support Real ID. He said he?d received a personal assurance from state Safety Commissioner Richard Flynn, who would administer the state?s Real ID program, that new licenses would not be used to gather residents? personal information. Flanders also believed Flynn's assurances that business is outpacing NH on the MA side of the border, there are no traffic circles in Vermont, Alaska is southwest of California, and George W. Bush is the smartest man alive.

I couldn't resist.

Gregg, a Republican, told the Associated Press that New Hampshire and most other states already have adopted many of the security measures Real ID requires.

New Hampshire law prohibits use of biometrics on licenses, REAL ID calls for it. New Hampshire law allows a mailing address on the license, REAL ID does not. New Hampshire law requires the options to have your photo and SSN deleted, REAL ID sets up sharing of this and more data among the 50 states.

Gregg also said that, contrary to what opponents are saying, the law would not create a national database.

That's like saying the web is not a worldwide database because all the information isn't on one server. Lies, damn lies, and semantics.
The distortion and exaggeration is coming from the anti-1582 side.

Could you write us up a short article on this subject for the online edition of the Keene Free Press?

[d_goddard]

FYI, Senate president Gatsas said at the opening of proceedings today that they won't get to Senate Calendar 17 (where HB1582 is) until tomorrow. He then looked up into the gallery where we were all sitting and said... "so, anyone who is interested in a particular bill on that Calendar, it will be decided on tomorrow." He then called for a 5-minute recess to let us get out.
Subtle, Senator, very subtle. I note with pleasure that many people chose to stay and keep an eye on them anyway!

Funny, the CM article somehow already knew that the vote wouldn't be today. Hmmmm...

Anyway this is a good sign. If Gatsas knew he had the votes he needs to kill 1582, he would have done it first thing. He's buying time.

I (or Irena) will be out tomorrow again, corner of Main & Louden Rd., holding up signs. I hope others will, too!

Anyway, this is the last push. We'll know in about 24 hours which way things went...
LAST CHANCE TO CALL YOUR SENATOR!

[NC2NH]

I (or Irena) will be out tomorrow again, corner of Main & Louden Rd., holding up signs. I hope others will, too!

How many people were out with signs this morning? Thank you for being there.

[d_goddard]

How many people were out with signs this morning?

High-water mark at any one moment was about 17.
Some came, some left, I'd say we had ~21 people total (just not all present at once, some people gotta work!)

We had people on 3 of the 4 corners at this busy intersection, so no matter which way traffic came, they saw us 

[NC2NH]

Could you write us up a short article on this subject for the online edition of the Keene Free Press?

An honor! I've replied by PM.

[KBCraig]

FYI, Senate president Gatsas said at the opening of proceedings today that they won't get to Senate Calendar 17 (where HB1582 is) until tomorrow. He then looked up into the gallery where we were all sitting and said... "so, anyone who is interested in a particular bill on that Calendar, it will be decided on tomorrow." He then called for a 5-minute recess to let us get out.
Subtle, Senator, very subtle. I note with pleasure that many people chose to stay and keep an eye on them anyway!

Denis, you're going to give people the idea that you don't trust politicians. 

Good work, and thanks for being there!

[aries]

I think it went very well this morning!

Now that I think of it, Gatsas must have been dodging us. He was parked in the back of the state house at 6:30 this morning (I got there early and saw). Seems a bit strange.

He's a sellout, corrupt politician, and he's corrupting the rest of the senate. The last thing we need in NH is a 24 member corrupt oligarchy deciding our politics. Ought to be Unicameral, but they'd shoot down the constitutional amendment to change the system, I'm sure.

But either way, the more word we spread about Real ID, whether NH rejects it or not, the more opposition we can get, the better chances we have of getting NH out... someday. I got a chance to talk with a few people about the bill, and many more knew about it as we had people honking and waving at us all day. Nobody mad, no middle fingers or nasty faces. Some curious faces, some people just reading our signs. Every single person that sees the support for this, though, is going to remember it at the polls when it comes time for senatorial elections.

If I can't renew my license without showing a social security card, then I can't renew it ever again, as I've conveniently shredded and lost it in the garbage. I didn't go to the SS card burn so I figured I'd unceremoniously destroy mine.

ANYWAY, it is my hope that the senators are playing along with Gatsas until the vote, and might actually vote with their constituents. You know, represent the people who elected them. I'd just love to see the look on Gatsas' face if it was 23-1. We don't have the smiley for it here, unfortunately.

I'm afraid there are 24 people in this state who actually support Real ID, and they are senate members.

EDIT- Also, I'm afraid no amount of calling will ever swing Gatsas, so if you drop any senators a line tonight, you may as well skip him, he ain't coming around.

[d_goddard]

Gatsas ... is a sellout, corrupt politician

I would not go to that extreme, but I think he's doing himself a huge disservice by opposing HB1582.
He probably thinks he is doing the right thing, and is misled.
Though I was not impressed by his photo-op this morning with the schoolkid and the candy bars 

Ought to be Unicameral

no, No, No, NO!
NH is beautiful partially because of how tough it is to get anything passed here.
There are so many ways to kill bad legislation!
Yes, it makes "good" bills hard to pass, but that's a headache I'd prefer to the machinery of government running too efficiently, any time.
Indeed, "educated, progressive" folks from Mass. and Vermont and Maine often complain that New Hampshire is so "backwards" (meaning we don't tax people enough) precisely because it's so hard to pass laws here. All I can say to them is, Amen, brother!

But either way, the more word we spread about Real ID, whether NH rejects it or not, the more opposition we can get

Amen, again!

[aries]

How is this? I have it saved as a draft to be sent to the email addresses below..

Senator, I missed school today to spend 2 hours in the cold rain today holding a sign in support of HB1582, but I was happy to do so, for hope that this bill might pass. As you might guess, I care very deeply about this bill, because I care about New Hampshire, its residents, and of course, my rights and privacy. I realize that Senator Gatsas is very opposed to telling the federal government no about anything. I was in the senate office as he unashamedly postponed the vote and looked at us to tell us that "any bills" on calendar 17 that we were anticipating would not be voted on today. I can't make it tomorrow since I am going to be taking the AP English exam for my school, but I will be there in my heart. If you are considering voting no, please reconsider. There has been NO civilian voice of dissent to 1582 in New Hampshire, yet the movement for its passage has been tremendous. Please be a voice for your constituents and vote and say YES to HB1582. If you already plan on voting yes, then I thank you very much.
--Matt Covey
A worried NH citizen.

To the following senators emails:
john.gallus(at)leg.state.nh.us, carljean(at)worldpath.net, joseph.kenney(at)leg.state.nh.us, robert.boyce(at)leg.state.nh.us, peter.burling(at)leg.state.nh.us, robert.flanders(at)leg.state.nh.us, rpojr(at)aol.com, patrick.murphy(at)leg.state.nh.us, thomas.eaton(at)leg.state.nh.us, SenatorBragdon(at)Verizon.net, david.gottesman(at)leg.state.nh.us, joseph.foster(at)leg.state.nh.us, senclegg(at)aol.com, sylvia.larsen(at)leg.state.nh.us, jack.barnes(at)leg.state.nh.us, andre.martel(at)leg.state.nh.us, dalas(at)leg.state.nh.us, maggie.hassan(at)leg.state.nh.us, iris.estabrook(at)leg.state.nh.us

[Dreepa]

There has been NO civilian voice of dissent to 1582 in New Hampshire, yet the movement for its passage has been tremendous. Please be a voice for your constituents and vote and say YES to HB1582. If you already plan on voting yes, then I thank you very much.

Nice... and true!

[aries]

I just don't want to look like I'm coming on too strong. I don't know how many senators will be checking their email tonight, I know Gallus has an intern read and reply to all of his mail. I hope I can get a few responses at least.

[aries]

Ok, I just sent this. I changed it a bit so I didn't look like I was attacking Gatsas.

Senator, I missed school today to spend 2 hours in the cold rain today holding a sign in support of HB1582, but I was happy to do so, for hope that this bill might pass. As you might guess, I care very deeply about this bill, because I care about New Hampshire, its residents, and of course, my rights and privacy. I realize that President Senator Gatsas is very opposed to telling the federal government no about a federally regulated ID system. I was in the senate office as he postponed the vote and looked at us to tell us that "any bills" (read: HB1582) on calendar 17 that we were anticipating would not be voted on today. I can't make it tomorrow since I am going to be taking the AP English exam for my school, but I will be there in my heart. If you are considering voting no, please reconsider. There has been NO civilian voice of dissent to 1582 in New Hampshire, yet the movement for its passage has been tremendous. Please be a voice for your constituents and vote and say YES to HB1582. If you already plan on voting yes, then I thank you very much.

[aries]

Ought to be Unicameral

no, No, No, NO!
NH is beautiful partially because of how tough it is to get anything passed here.
There are so many ways to kill bad legislation!
Yes, it makes "good" bills hard to pass, but that's a headache I'd prefer to the machinery of government running too efficiently, any time.
Indeed, "educated, progressive" folks from Mass. and Vermont and Maine often complain that New Hampshire is so "backwards" (meaning we don't tax people enough) precisely because it's so hard to pass laws here. All I can say to them is, Amen, brother!

What if it was a 1000 member unicameral, and bills could die in committee?
What if we just had true democracy? The infrastructure is easily possible. If it was "whoever cares enough to come down to the capitol and cast their vote, gets a vote on this bill" I think we'd see more good bills pass. I only fear things like the smoking ban might get through. I guess with a system like that you'd need a much more specific and detailed constitution. I'll save this for a different thread in a different forum. I just like imagining what government could be better.

Personally, I just think we need more mechanisms for forcing bills. The more direct representation/democracy, the better. If the senate didn't like a bill, say, the counties could vote to push it through, or towns, or people, by petition or otherwise.