ID's Coming!

Just because I am paranoid does not mean that they are not out to get me. I went, and got my new vehicle registration today, and out of curiosity inquired next door at the TX-DMV, about the REAL ID. HA! Knew I wasn't crazy. Starting in the spring of {May} 2008 the State of Texas will begin issuing the new identification cards, "as soon as our equipment arrives, and staff are trained."

[ Enacted in May of 2005, the Real ID Act presents a significant challenge to the Departments Driver License Division (DLD). As passed, the statute will have a wide-reaching impact on our citizens as it will require all 20 million existing Texas driver license and identification card (DL/ID) holders to present
their respective identity credentials to driver license office personnel between May 11, 2008 and May 10, 2013. The Acts proposed rules are specific and create implementation challenges with operational, legislative, technological and fiscal limitations. Implementing Real ID will require additional staff,
facilities, training and the development, expansion and deployment of numerous real-time verification systems. Accordingly, costs associated with Real ID will be significant. The discontinuation of the on-line and telephone transactions (via Texas On-line) will eliminate these respective transaction
fees, resulting in a loss in general revenue to the state. Real ID regulations are currently being developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Department will pursue conforming legislation to implement necessary programs in order to comply with the regulations. ]

It is good to know that the Department of Homeland Security is taking care of us all.
[ Seal Description:
In the center of the seal, a graphically styled white American eagle appears in a circular blue field. The eagle's outstretched wings break through an inner red ring into an outer white ring that contains the words "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF" in the top half and "HOMELAND SECURITY" in the bottom half in a circular placement. The eagle's wings break through the inner circle into the outer ring to suggest that the Department of Homeland Security will break through traditional bureaucracy and perform government functions differently. In the tradition of the Great Seal of the United States, the eagle's talon on the left holds an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 seeds while the eagle's talon on the right grasps 13 arrows.
Centered on the eagle's breast is a shield divided into three sections containing elements that represent the American homeland - air, land, and sea. The top element, a dark blue sky, contains 22 stars representing the original 22 entities that have come together to form the department. The left shield element contains white mountains behind a green plain underneath a light blue sky. The right shield element contains four wave shapes representing the oceans alternating light and dark blue separated by white lines. ]