07/05/2009: "ID cards - URGENT!"

just received an email from the "No2ID group" in my area.

as you would expect, they are against ID cars, but also against all the back door measures being brought in, in the small print of the legislation.
This is something i agree with wholeheartedly.
its not a political argument, it is a financial one.

its well documented about how much money the scheme would cost, the taxpayers (ie, you and me) would be paying for this either now - in higher taxes, or in future - if they fund it with more borrowing.

the most important issue i have with this whole scheme, is that it creates knock on costs/ higher prices for everybody, for services etc.

everything is costing more, driving licenses/passports etc, is going through the roof, to pay for more staff to monitor, gather and store OUR information, to pay for more databases, etc, and this information is being sold on without our knowledge to other departments, who use OUR information against us... we are paying a higher price for it!

another good example is credit.
"check your credit file for just Ł5 per month" - why? its our information, we should be able to see what they are storing about us for FREE!
have you ever applied for a loan or credit card? - the interest rate they charge you is dependant on this credit file... they tell us its to protect them from risk, long gone are the days when we all paid equally, now only those with a perfect credit rating pay a reasonable rate of interest, everyone else is penalised for the slightest little issue on their credit rating with higher interest payments!

.... but there are laws that protect us in place to stop this kind of thing happening....
who do you think pays for all the staff, offices, protection?
how long does it take to investigate if they make an error?
look at the consumer pages of the daily papers, they are full of people going to the press because they have run around for months trying to get an error sorted out, and the authorities that cost a fortune and taxpayer's pay for, have done nothing about it!

its not just credit cards and loans either..... mortgage interest rates, insurance premiums for your car, home, business, holiday, etc are going through the roof.
pretty soon even our weekly shopping will be subject to these extra burdens on our wages and income. ITS TIME TO STOP IT!

laws do not protect us at all, and involve hours of work and phone calls and letters on "appeals" and action that resolve nothing and end up costing us more. every single taxpayer, has increased taxes to pay to cover the cost of staffing these useless government departments.

the government want to bring in a "new" department to "stand up for customers"
at present we already have:

consumer direct
trading standards
office of fair trading

combined, these three departments are as much use as a chocolate teapot!
they drain the taxpayer of millions of pounds each year in site payments, staffing, pensions, phone lines and computer systems and related staff, selling our information on, producing reports, and taking months to find they cannot do anything for the individual.... useless rubbish they are!
.... and now we are to have another "new" outfit spending yet more of our tax money??? WHY?

the old theory is true - why pay thousands installing a pelican crossing, then employ a lollipopman for thousands each year, to stand their and push the button?

anyways... back to my email, this is what information i was sent today:

URGENT: WRITE TO YOUR MP, STOP ID POWERS NOW!

On Wednesday 8th July 2009, the House of Commons will vote on a group of
three ID-related Statutory Instruments* including one called 'The Identity
Cards Act 2006 (Provision of Information without Consent) Regulations 2009'.
The other two establish fees and penalties that can be applied to anyone
registered on the ID database.

We need you to write to your MP *NOW* to get them to vote against these key
pieces of secondary legislation.

The 'Provision of Information without Consent' regulation would give powers
to the Identity and Passport Service to pass on information it holds on you
to a host of other agencies WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. This
information would include not only official document numbers, and personal
details like your name, addresses and signature (more than enough to
facilitate massive identity fraud) but also your fingerprints and even - to
the police, intelligence services, taxman and ANYONE ELSE THEY AUTHORISE -
details of every time you had had your ID checked, e.g to register with a
GP, open a bank account or apply for credit, or travel abroad. Your medical
and financial dealings conveniently tagged and indexed for further snooping.

Records of what information has been given to whom and why may be destroyed
after 12 months or less. They would track you for life, but prefer to leave
no trail of their activities.

Contrary to some recent media reports, the ID scheme is still very much
alive. From 2011 onwards you will still be forced to register on the ID
database when you apply for or renew your passport. Some, including young
people and those living in the North West of England, may be duped or
bullied into registering for a card from later this year - and once you are
on the database, there is no way off. The fees, penalties and
data-trafficking established by these regulations would apply to you for
life.

Blocking these three Statutory Instruments would not only stall the Scheme,
it provides an opportunity for ID opponents to show how committed they are
to killing it off completely. It is important that as many MPs of all
parties as possible vote against them on Wenesday 8th July.

There is very little time, so we need you to contact your MP straight
away - www.writetothem.com/ makes it very easy - to tell him or her
that you deeply object to having your personal information shared without
your knowledge or consent, and ask him or her to vote against 'The Identity
Cards Act 2006 (Provision of Information without Consent) Regulations 2009'
and the other two ID-related Statutory Instruments (see below for details) on
Wednesday 8th July.

And don't forget to TELL OTHERS - link to our Facebook group
at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54487688497 ,
e-mail your friends, but don't delay.

thanks gang!