The Government Has Our Numbers by Lori Patel 4:00am 3.Jul.98.PDT Your banker has it. Your employer has it. Your insurer, the IRS, and, frankly, you can't remember who else has it. So what difference does it make if the US Department of Transportation joins the crowd asking to see your Social Security number? Recently, the department published its intention to require all states to verify Social Security numbers before issuing or renewing drivers' licenses. Depending on who one asks, the significance of this decision can swell or shrink like a top-notch special effect. "Fear of crime and terrorism has caused us to let down our guard against excessive intrusion into the lives of the law abiding. The ease of minor borrowing and the transformation of shopping into recreation has addicted us to credit cards," wrote New York Times columnist William Safire. "Taken together, the fear and the ease make a map of our lives available to cops, crazies, and con men alike." . . . http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/other/politics/story/13441.html