April 4, 2008 12:15PM # Superlative REAL ID Editorial By [Jim Harper](https://www.cato.org/people/jim-harper) --- SHARE The *Orange County Register* has an [editorial on the REAL ID Act](http://www.ocregister.com/articles/act-states-state-2011439-security-federal) this morning that captures the issues magnificently. Among other gems: > The big trouble is that there’s no evidence that this Draconian act, even if fully implemented, would be more than a minor inconvenience for a determined terrorist. But having all that information – including copies of birth certificates and Social Security cards – available in one database would make an irresistible target for identity thieves. And it would be a major inconvenience for millions of innocent Americans and a major expense for state governments – meaning taxpayers. The *Register*’s conclusion? Congress should “bite the bullet and repeal this useless, intrusive, money-wasting law.” ##### Related Tags [Defense and Foreign Policy](https://www.cato.org/defense-foreign-policy), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Technology and Privacy](https://www.cato.org/technology-privacy), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).