M a r k D i l l e y

Bloomberg compared his proposed federal identification database to the Social Security card, insisting that such a system would not violate citizens’ privacy and was not a civil liberties issue.

“You don’t have to work _ but if you want to work for a company you have to have a Social Security card,” he said. “The difference is, in the day and age when everybody’s got a PC on their desk with Photoshop that can replicate anything, it’s become a joke.”

The mayor said DNA and fingerprint technology could be used to create a worker ID database that will “uniquely identify the person” applying for a job, ensuring that cards are not illegally transferred or forged.