Letter: Protect Citizens by Rejecting ‘Real ID’ (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)

If Congressman Thomas Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County, is truly concerned about stopping the forgery of driver’s licenses (“Security an issue as Real ID Act nears,” Jan. 22), then he ought to withdraw his support of the Real ID Act, legislation that would make identity theft more profitable and more dangerous than ever before.

The Erie County case is not unique. Over the years, thousands of fraudulent driver’s licenses have been procured by bribing DMV officials throughout the country.

The Real ID Act would not solve this problem, but it could intensify it by increasing the value of a counterfeit driver’s license, fueling a black market in fraudulent IDs.

Real ID cards will be billed by the government as tamper-proof and will contain much more information and have many more applications than current driver’s licenses. Armed with a fraudulent Real ID, such malicious characters could inflict untold harm on their victims.

Our lawmakers should take meaningful steps to prevent forgery of driver’s licenses. Rejecting the Real ID Act would be a good start.

Gary Pudup
Director, Genesee Valley chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union