[Mpls] SSN as identifier

[Tim Bonham]

>Of course it is also illegal to use social security numbers
>for anything other than social security purposes but what good has that law
>done? Even the government violates it own law, and try doing any business at
>a bank, a mortgage company, or credit card company without it.
>. . .
>Jim Graham
>Ventura Village
         Sorry, Jim, but this is incorrect.  Actually, a very common 
misconception.
I've had to research this extensively in designing Data Processing systems.

What the law actually says is that only the Social Security Administration 
can REQUIRE you to give them your SSN.  Others can use it as an id number 
if they want, but you can decline to give it to them.  And they are still 
required to offer you the same service, so they must design into their 
system a way for it to work without an SSN.  (Most assign a number starting 
from 000-00-0001 to each such customer.  Actual SSN's will never have such 
a pattern.)

And banks, mortgage companies, etc. are actually REQUIRED to get your 
SSN.  Because the IRS requires any of these finance companies (that might 
pay you interest or charge you deductible interest) to report this to them, 
via the SSN that you use on your tax return.
         This was made a legal requirement in a separate law passed years 
after FDR's original Social Security Act (the one George W is trying to 
destroy now).

Tim Bonham, Ward 12, Standish-Ericsson