AJC.com > Talk of the town > Archives > 2006 > December
December 2006
Strip McKinney’s name off road?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do you think about a Republican state lawmaker’s efforts to strip U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney’s name off a DeKalb County road, saying she “has brought embarrassment to the state of Georgia.” Cynthia McKinney Parkway would return to its former name, Memorial Drive.
Is national ID requirement good or bad?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Starting May 11, 2008, everyone in the country will have to provide extensive proof of their identity when they apply for a license: name, address, photograph, Social Security number, birth certificate, citizenship status — and possibly even your fingerprints and retinal scan. Read the story.
The Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, requires uniform standards that states will have to follow when issuing driver’s licenses and identification cards to non-drivers.
Legislators in Georgia and elsewhere are rebelling against the federal mandates contained in the act. State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) says the act’s requirements are an invasion of privacy, could open the door to identity fraud and will cost Georgia taxpayers as much as $85 million to implement.
Some privacy watchdogs are worried the act is loosely written to allow for the taking of biometrics, things such as fingerprints and retinal scans.
What’s your opinion? Is it a good protective measure or does it go too far?
Insisting on English
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How much pressure should be put on immigrants to learn English?
Is English-only sentiment a form of prejudice? Or is insisting on English the right thing to do?
Should your auto premiums be tied to your credit report?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some insurance companies use your credit score in determining your premium. It can make a considerable difference in the amount you pay.
For example, Drive Insurance from Progressive would charge a 40-year-old Atlanta man with a 2000 Ford Taurus and a clean driving record $387 for a six-month policy if he had the best insurance score, compared with $710 if he had the worst.
What do you think? Fair or not?
“The Way Forward” in Iraq?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Iraq Study Group, headed by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, has submitted its long-awaited report to President Bush and Congress, touching off an impassioned debate. The report, titled “The Way Forward,” offers a grim assessment of the situation in Iraq and offers 79 recommendations for what to do next. Its bottom line: Begin to bring troops home. I’ll be online fielding questions and comments about the report for a couple of hours Thursday, beginning at 11 a.m. Feel free to submit your questions early, but they won’t be posted until the Q&A begins.
