Congress does bad things and then expects Americans to just forget about it. Most Americans do forget about it, but not Downsize DC. We remember. We hold a grudge. And we act relentlessly to undo the bad that Congress has done.
A case in point is . . . the REAL ID Act — legislation Congress passed that will eventually create a national identification system. Congress claims this will help fight terrorism, but the federal government has already mismanaged all of the databases and tools it already has for that purpose. REAL ID will be no different.
The more things the federal government does, the fewer things it does well. Congress could better protect us if it did fewer things better. That’s called FOCUS. The federal government should show that it can effectively use the powers and tools it already has before it assumes new powers and creates new programs.
The more centralized government is, the more dangerous it is. When the Texas government makes a mistake it only hurts people in Texas, but when the the federal government makes a mistake it hurts everyone in the country. Government power should be decentralized so as to protect us from the universal harm caused by centralized federal mistakes and mismanagement.
Remember, a VA bureaucrat took home a database containing the sensitive personal information of all American veterans, and then LOST THAT DATABASE. Imagine the same thing happening with a centralized REAL ID database. Imagine the impact of that on you personally, and on the entire economy.
Remember also the complete incompetence with which the federal government has handled no-fly lists and terrorist watch databases. Imagine that same incompetence applied to a national identification system.
Remember also that Congress has recently passed legislation trashing the Bill of Rights. Combine this with REAL ID and you have the foundations for a future police state. Combine a future power-mad President with some future crisis, like another terrorist attack, and your children can kiss their last remaining freedoms goodbye.
The REAL ID Act must not be allowed to stand. It must be repealed. But it will not be repealed unless Congress experiences relentless, inescapable, mind-numbing pressure to do so. DownsizeDC.org aims to create exactly that kind of pressure. We have so far sent Congress 38,037 messages requesting the repeal of REAL ID. We must make this number grow relentlessly, and today is the day to take action in that direction.
Show Congress you remember what they have done. Show them you hold a grudge about it. Show them you will not forget. Demand that they repeal the REAL ID Act. Congress isn’t used to being constantly badgered about things they’ve already done, so your messages will have an impact. You can send your message HERE.
Let’s also be relentless about gaining the resources to make our message heard by everyone, everywhere, everyday. Inch by inch, we’re getting closer to that goal with every passing day.
But we still need about $2,800 to meet our budget for November, and there are only two days left to get there. In most appeals, we ask for pledges. But with the month dwindling, I no longer feel the luxury of focusing on the long-term. We need some generous contributions of $1,000, $500, and $250. Perhaps someone could even supply a contribution to cover the entire amount.
There are more than 23,800 subscribers to this list, so this should be a doable goal. Please make your generous contribution or start a monthly pledge HERE.
Thank you for being a DC Downsizer.
Jim Babka, President, DownsizeDC.org, Inc.