Seeing inconsistency in use of IDs

The Aug. 6 Herald carried the article on changes coming to Social Security and federal benefits to recipients that says almost 7 million recipients must switch to a form of direct deposit for their monies by March 1, 2013. We have been told about this for some time now. People not having a checking account or savings account by this deadline will likely be forced to use a prepaid debit card — like it or not, convenient or not — to obtain their benefits.

Now various states are trying to require some simple form of identification in order to vote and are taking steps to make it as simple as possible for all prospective voters to have an ID. Yet, the federal government finds the latter to be unfair and even racist, while I hear nothing from them about the requirements needed to get established benefits from the government, even though the mainly affected populace are likely similar.

This sounds like two of the same situations only with two different political agendas by the federal government.

Ronald Entzminger

Arlington Heights