Well, you ungrateful wretches objected to our great employment database and national ID card plans when they were presented as a means of immigration control. How about this, then: We need an employment-tracking database and licenses for everything so we can crack down on "deadbeat dads." Now that sounds more plausible, doesn't it! Please? We really want to track you closely. It's for your own good, you know. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AP reported on 10/12/95: Deadbeat parents beware: Pay up or lose your license. And not just your driver's license. Your hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, occupational and professional licenses may be taken away too. That's the promise that Congress, intensifying the fight against parents who refuse to support their children, intends to send to millions of deadbeats as it writes final legislation to transform the nation's anti-poverty programs. ... Central to [House and Senate proposals ...] is a requirement that every state have a program to revoke or restrict the licenses of parents who fail to pay, along with a central registry to track new hiring and match employment records with child support obligations. ... [Can you say "10th Amendment," Robert Dole? I knew you could! You are against this, aren't you Bob? Bob? Bob??!!] The Department of Health and Human Services ... estimates that if every state had a license revocation program in place, child support collections would grow by $2.5 billion over 10 years. [During which time the federal government will spend $20,000 billion. Relative peanuts, in other words.] According to HHS, 32 states and Puerto Rico now have laws on the books to restrict or revoke driving privileges and professional, occupational or sporting licenses. ... ^^^^^^^^^^ [Note that driving, necessary for living in most places, is now a *privilege* granted by the government. In other words, *living* is a government-granted privilege.] Paula Roberts, a child support expert with the Center for Law and Social Policy, a liberal research and advocacy group in Washington, said license revocation programs can be effective -- but only if states have the necessary computers in place. ... Essay questions for extra credit: (1.) Explain how an advocate of the proposed system of monitoring and control could be considered "liberal." Or "conservative." (2.) How many (ab)uses of this system are possible and how long will it take for them to be implemented? (3.) Compare and contrast this plan with the Soviet internal passport / labor book system.