I am pissed. It seems the State of Florida, in 2017,

[dawg day]

31. I went and checked, and the 5 levels of documentation are absurd

I have lived in the same city for 40 years, the same HOUSE for 35 years.
I have gotten driver's licenses here for 40 years.
I have had a US passport for 45 years (renewed several times).
I was just approved for that Trusted Traveller (US) card.
I have paid federal and state taxes every year since I was 18.



But... it is going to require work to get all the many forms of documentation needed to get this stupid real ID. Here are the problem ones-
Utility bills mailed to your with your name and address. (Utility bills are in husband's name, because back when we bought the house, that's what they did -- married women couldn't even get credit cards in their own name.) Ditto insurance bills.

Mortgage bill (paid off mortgage 12 years ago)

Credit card bills (all my bills except a couple utility bills in husband's name arrive electronically, which isn't acceptable)

Bank statements (also electronic)
(These above are to prove residence in the house I've lived in for 35 years and paid property tax on-- AND at least two different types are needed)

W-2 forms (also electronic)
(These all have to be issued, btw, within 60 days of applying for the real ID)

Social Security card (Umm, which I probably lost 40 years ago and was in my maiden name anyway)
Voter registration card (ditto-- and anyway, why wouldn't the state be able to check that, since I'm registered in the state, and we have driver-voter law, so the BMV does have access?)

I went through all the options, and it looks like I am going to have to do this- Get my bank to send me a statement through the mail, meaning I have to go to the bank branch and prove my ID and ask for it.
Switch my credit card "paperless" delivery to "paper" for a month (and then back).

I'm not sure about the W-2 (which absent my SS card, seems to be the one way I can prove SSN relatively easily, though you know, it's ON MY DRIVER'S LICENSE!!!!). My company does not ever send the paper copy anymore. Maybe I can wait until the SSA sends out that annual statement of benefits? But that probably doesn't have my SSN on it. Oh, well. Too bad I won't turn 66 and get social security checks in time.

This anti-immigration fever is getting insane. Everyone-- everyone -- in the country is now going to have to go through these extra steps and the states all have to go to extra expense... and why? So that we can further demonize some farmworkers and roofers and babysitters and college students and business owners who are here doing honest work and bothering no one?

And INS continues to harass them while letting employers (LIKE TRUMP) who hire them skate.

I know I'm being petty, but I travel a lot, and it's idiotic that I and everyone else should have to go to all this trouble to be able to continue to do something we are legally allowed to do.