Papers Please! – Opinions From E. Curtis Johnson

Horrific accidents are often found at the intersection of Unintended Consequences Avenue and Irony Lane. Here’s one wreck. As a result of the terrorist attacks on 9-11, President Bush signed The Real ID Act into law in 2005. The Real ID Act is a contemporary version of “papers please.” Just one consequence is that by 2016, no one can board commercial flights without a federally approved state driver’s license.

A few states, like Arizona, opted out of the Real ID Act. Arizona media sources are starting to report the unintended consequences that decision. In 2005, federal funds were available to help states pay for the costs of The Real ID Act. Now those funds are gone and states are on the hook. So, a Republican president increased the size and power of the federal government while supplanting the authority of a license once issued by the states.

I’m E. Curtis Johnson. It’s certainly ironic that even without federally approved identification, Arizonans will still be able to vote!  As Bush might say, “You’ve been Irony-i-fied!”