Mayor de Blasio signs municipal ID bill.
I'm very pleased that Mayor De Blasio has signed in to law
a bill creating a New York resident ID card. The goal of the ID is to provide a lot of marginal groups with access to free ID cards. Like immigrants, the homeless, and others who face the $100+ financial hurdle of obataining a NY state id card. New York has stringent documentation requirements for IDs and even higher barriers for getting a drivers license. This will make it easier for folks in the shadows to be able to identify themselves.
But these things have been tried before in other cities, without much success. Once the ID has a stigma of only being for folks on the margins, it is then not embraced by the broader public. That then leads to a vicious cycle because then those who are marginalized dont even want the id card. Others have tried certain incentive discounts, a debit payment system, and all sorts of gimmicks to make local id acceptable. But none of those places offer the potential that a New York resident id card could have. Why? Because this is New York were talking about here!
Some suggestions for the City as they go about this thing:
Has to be a real, substantial looking piece of ID
First, it should have the exact same documentation requirements as a New York state id, only without the citizenship and immigration questions. Other than that, birth certificate, social security number or taxpayer id, and proof of residency should be strictly enforced. It should have an address, physical decription and a signature on it.
Dont go cheap. Make sure it has all the holographic bells and whistles. As well as a clear image from a good camera. It should also have a bit of high end credit card about it. It should look like it is a special thing to have. Because you can only get one if you are a true New Yorker. This should be a First Class card, not a sign of misfortune.
Trendsetters first
For those who already have state ID with their address on it, make the process easily done online with a picture of the front and back. For out of staters, a simple additional proof of residency would make things easy.There should be an app for this, and the app could make it easier to take care of routine City business like parking, fines, etc. It should also have a no fee debit component for use in cabs, ferries, and things like bikeshares and zipcars. The goal is yo get the early adopters to be NYC trendsetters, and that will happen if it easier to get for folks who already have ID.
Another idea is linking the ID card to the successful rollout of the .nyc internet domain.
Expensive marketing
All marketing should show the card being used by sexy, marketable people using it with their credit cards while traveling. I could see, for example, a lovely young couple using it while entering a nightclub in Miami Beach. Or at a bar in Vail. Or in London or Paris. The message should be that we have something you dont. This should not be marketed to the poor, but to celebrities and those who are influenced by them. For example, if Rachel Maddow carried one, wouldn't that be awesome? Woudnt you want one too? This is marketing 101 i know, but this stuff works. Especially in our age of social media.
So far, the focus of making these local ID work has been discounts at restaurants and museums and the like. I dont think thats the way to go and it hasnt led to widespread adpotion. Im interested in any ideas that could help make this work. Id like to see every New Yorker proud to carry one!
But the ultimate goal here remains bringing in those marginals and giving them the full fledged membership in New York's urban life. This will help law enforcement and ensure we have a better census count. Also it will help those here illegally obtain services from City, which does not discriminate based on status. Good on the City Council and the Mayor for passing this law. But now they have to get it right and make it work!