Reader left feeling insecure about Social Security numbers

0 Comments | Insight on the News, July 29, 2002 | by Tom Pendleton

Amen to Sheila R. Cherry's article about Social Security numbers and identity theft ["Keep an Eye on Who Gets Your Number," July 15]! Our local election commission provides a voter-registration card with our Social Security numbers printed on them in plain view. Ridiculous!

When new voter-registration cards were mailed out recently, they weren't even in envelopes. They were printed on a card that was folded in thirds with the Social Security number barely hidden and held together by tape.

Cherry is correct that stupid bureaucratic decisions and greedy public officials often are to blame for leaks of private information. I would like to add that "innocent" clerical errors by people who routinely handle that data also are to blame. When you consider that a vast number of government clerks got their jobs through spoils, patronage or preferences instead of good work, you have to wonder if there is any real security for our data.

Tom Pendleton
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