The full-court press

The State Department now declares it's denying the passport application of anyone who owes more than $2,500 in delinquent child support. Now that millions of additional travelers need passports to travel back from Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean, such collections under the "Passport Denial Program" are on track to double this year.

"Folks will do anything to get that passport," chortles Adolfo Capestany, a spokesman for the state of Washington's Division of Child Support, "so it is a good collection tool."

What's wrong with that? Everyone should pay their child support obligations, right?

Of course. And their fines and taxes, too. Will municipalities now be able to enlist the helpful gang at Foggy Bottom to squeeze anyone owing more than $2,500 in old parking tickets? Will Americans be refused permission to return from abroad (you need a passport for that) if they have a dispute with the IRS about more than $2,500 in back taxes? What if the excluded traveler turns out to be an ex-wife of the person who really owes the taxes? The IRS often places levies against ex-spouses and even minor children to stop their targets from shifting their assets, after all.

The founders warned that Americans would be living in tyranny if the boundaries between the local and federal government were ever erased, to be replaced with a "consolidated" regime.

Unless they're in prison, Americans have a right to travel abroad and return. The only responsibility of the passport agency should be to make sure our immigration officers can identify and re-admit U.S. citizens while barring those who have no right to be here -- and if you think they're doing even passably well at that job, try speaking English to the kitchen staff of any local restaurant.

Furthermore, think of the future possibilities this opens up. Since every leading presidential candidate wants to finish nationalizing our health care, maybe the newly federalized hospitals can help with the collection squeeze, as well. Who knows, in a couple of years Mr. Capestany may be braying, "Folks will do anything to get that heart surgery, so it is a good collection tool."