Jul. 16, 2002 - 20:45 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Smoke Screen

National Standards for state drivers licenses is one proposal that is in the "Homeland Security" proposal put forth by Dubya it says in our paper this morning. Among many other things of course. Seems like they are fighting shy of National Identity Cards as having dictatorial overtones. But if National Standards for state drivers licenses becomes the practise, I guess that only the kiddies on tricycles will not be under the scrutiny of the feds. This sort of thing makes me leery of what is being proposed. All these financial SWAT Teams, and Drug Czars these old names applied in seemingly unnatural ways, new application of somewhat old terms to cover up what is being tried for. So, if National Standards for state driver's licenses becomes law -- what the heck difference is there between National ID cards and National Standard drivers licenses ?

One thing I do agree with is inspection of those semi-trailer size shipping containers before they leave a foreign port and inspection again before they enter the United States. Makes sense to me. Also I haven't seen mentioned rigid inspection of shipments from Mexico in Mexican trucks and semi-trailers though. A quick look at the papers proffered by the drivers doesn't really tell what cargo is inside the box.

Another thing or two that bothers me, the tax cut, now who has been helped the most ? Now they are trying to push cancellation of inheritance taxes. Say what ? Whose but the dollars of the very rich are even threatened. How many folks do I know who have ever been worried by inheritance taxes ?

Head lines on an article, "Senate takes aim at crooks." A sidebar article shows some of the proposed items which appear to be good in themselves. What I wonder is what all this will look like in the finality ? How much will have been chopped off, how much will have been emasculated by word changes, etc.? Why is it that I think a very weak bill will be passed by House and Senate ?

On MSNBC this morning. Bush unveils homeland security plan. 90 pages it is, according to MSNBC. It mentions in there that it calls for new extradition laws and SECRECY LAWS. Secrecy seems to be the aim of the administration all the way around. If it is secret no one will know a damn thing about anything. No one will have to account for a damn thing and anybody can be jailed, held forever and no member of the public will ever know what happened to that person.

I hear a rumble that someone is pushing the bit of giving Social Security taxes to the taxpayer to invest. I can see no way that this is practical. If it would be at the discretion of the receiver as to how it is invested, when the investment is lost then the working taxpayers will have to foot the bill when the wastrel comes to retirement age. If a government agency is set up to control and oversee what the taxpayer does with the money - I wonder, will that be handled like the financial matters of the Native Americans ?

It just seems to me that the procedures nowadays are to propose new and risky things and use new names for same or using twisted old names for the new proposals. Looks like it is more than a forest fire that puts out such a huge Smoke screen . . . . . . . . . . . .

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