NH Senate gears up for REAL ID debate
Privacy advocates, apocalypse watchers and everyone in between will be keeping a close eye on the New Hampshire Senate this week. Senators will vote on HB 1582, a bill that would prevent New Hampshire from taking part in a national identification card system.

The bill, written and co-sponsored by Rep. Neal Kurk (D+R–Weare), is a direct response to the federal REAL ID act passed in 2005. The REAL ID act requires states to adopt uniform driver’s license standards by 2007, under which new licenses would be required to be machine readable, with either a barcode or some sort of radio frequency identification chip. Driver’s license data would be compiled in a national database that individual states and law enforcement agencies could access.

Kurk, who said he’s always had a great concern about the relationship between personal privacy and the government, thinks the REAL ID act is a recipe for disaster.

“When you have those three elements together—uniform data, a machine readable technology and interstate and federal access to a national database—you have potential over time for some of things most of associate with horrors of George Orwell’s book ‘1984,’” he said.

The New Hampshire House of Representatives seems to agree. They passed the bill in March. The Senate Public and Municipal Affairs Committee has recommended the bill, but the Senate as a whole has given it a lukewarm reception. Gov. John Lynch has stated that he’ll sign the bill if it passes the Senate.

While REAL ID appears to be “innocuous,” according to Kirk, it opens citizens to “frightening possibilities” in the future, including, but not limited to, needing a federal ID to purchase goods and being tracked by the RFID chip in the ID card.

“None of (these) are established by the REAL ID act, but its framework facilitates all those,” Kurk said. “The idea of relying on the goodness of government to protect us is not supported by the historical record.”

If the bill does pass, Kurk said the state wouldn’t face any penalties, but there would be “consequences.” New Hampshire citizens might not be able to enter federal buildings or get on airplanes if they don’t have a federally sanctioned ID, he said.

The National Governors Association has opposed REAL ID, saying that it’s “unworkable and counterproductive.” Privacy and civil liberties groups, as well as Christian fundamentalist groups like Endtime Ministries, also want to see REAL ID repealed.

“Just about everyone in this country, from all sections of the political spectrum and all parts of country are shocked the federal government would even try something like this,” Kurk said.

The Senate will vote on the bill on Wednesday, May 3. To view the bill, visit http://gencourt.state.nh.us.

four wastewater management alternatives selected
Efforts to find a solution to the Seacoast’s wastewater management woes took a step forward in late April when the New Hampshire Seacoast Region Wastewater Management Feasibility Study narrowed the number of management alternatives from 10 to four. Among the four alternatives is a sewage outfall pipe to be located in the Gulf of Maine.

Earlier this year, members of the study, led by Metcalf & Eddy, a water consultation firm, introduced 10 potential options to manage wastewater treatment in the region. There are currently 17 wastewater treatment facilities in the area annually treating an estimated 15 million gallons of septage. The population of the Seacoast is expected to nearly double in the next 50 years, and officials are looking at ways for wastewater treatment to keep pace with population growth.

The final four options include:

Taking no action: The 17 wastewater treatment facilities would continue operating as they do now, held accountable to federal Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Treatment at existing facilities with Regional Gulf of Maine Discharge: Septage would be treated at the existing facilities and then pumped out into the Gulf of Maine using a regional pipeline. This alternative is required to be considered as part of SB 70, the law that established the study.

Decentralized treatment and use of existing facilities: Under this alternative, existing wastewater treatment facilities would treat one-third of the region’s septage. The remaining septage would be sent to decentralized locations for treatment and discharge to land sites.

Treatment at existing facilities and discharge at land application sites: Treatment at existing facilities would be upgraded so that treated effluent would meet groundwater discharge standards. The treated water would be discharged at local land application sites, or, if no sites are available, the existing surface water discharge location.

For more information about the study, visit www.coastalclear.org.

RCA selects new board
Rockingham Community Action has a new board of directors. Nine new members were appointed to the non-profit agency’s board at the end of April, bringing the total number of board members up to 12.
Earlier this year, much of RCA’s board resigned following the recommendation of an audit performed by the Mid-Iowa Community Action agency. The audit was conducted after the United Way of the Greater Seacoast announced in late 2005 it was withholding $20,000 in funds from the agency until the board leadership and staffing issues.

Three board members did not resign: Diane Givetz, Heather McKay and Michael King. The new board members are Sandy Acox, Neil Carnaby, Marie Capello, Ruth Griffin, Michael King, Ellen Lavin, Chris Maxwell, Tom Meisner, Robert O’Connell and Robert Prieto. For more information, visit www.rcaction.org.

Portsmouth budget season
This week, the Portsmouth City Council begins deliberations on the 2007 city budget. Under consideration is a $78 million budget, up from $73.1 million, or 6.7 percent, in 2006. The $78 million budget is comprised of $62.45 million in regular city operating expenses and $15.54 million in non-operating expenses, such as debt service and other costs. If approved as is, the new budget would mean an 8 percent increase, or, $1.41, in the city’s tax rate, bringing it to $19.01 per $1,000 of property value.

In a memo to the City Council, city manager John Bohenko cited the rising cost of energy and health care as the reason behind the increase in the budget. Bohenko has recommended the council consider a tax rate increase of 4.32 percent, rather than 8 percent. To do this, he recommends the council trim $2 million from the budget, with the majority of cuts (about $1.2 million) coming out of the city’s operating expenses.

The proposed 2007 budget is available to view online at www.cityofportsmouth.com. Hard copies can be viewed at City Hall or at the library. The City Council will hold work sessions on each city department’s budget throughout May.