Letters to the Editor
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‘Post-9/11 Bureaucracy’
I believe Mr. Husock could have gone further in his piece explaining the tremendous obstacles he encountered in converting his Massachusetts license to a New York license [Editorial & Opinion, “Post-9/11 Bureaucracy,” September12,2007].
Interesting that even his passport and a social security card were insufficient to process a simple conversion. But he left out the danger of all these social security numbers reposing in the computers of government agencies. I don’t know about Mr. Husock, but the Department of Motor Vehicles is the last place we should want to leave our social security number.
Recall that recently a lost New York City laptop compromised the information of 280,000 retired workers and, last year the Veterans Administration lost a computer with the information of at least that many veterans.
I think it should disturb us all that American citizens, who long ago provided birth certificates are now being told that they must give their social security numbers when they renew their licenses.
There is absolutely no reason for this degree of “security” as passports are acceptable for all other identification, not driver’s licenses.
Hopefully, Governor Spitzer has added a bit of reason to our New York’s bureaucracy with his executive order rescinding the social security requirement.
JOHN OST
New York, N.Y.
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