I'm from the government, and I'm here to help ... you steal someone's identity?

The Washington Post looks into the phenomenon of identity theft, and finds, not surprisingly, that Social Security Numbers are all over court and other legal documents.

Said one Maryland legislator: "It's alarming, because the government should be setting the example in really trying to protect people's private information. Look, there's a whole criminal underground now that thrives on stealing people's credit cards and usurping their identity for as long as they can."

Part of the blame for identity theft lies with private businesses that use SSNs when the law does not require it. The rest lies with government for its indiscriminate use of it. The uses are not limited to fingering "bad guys," like the woman who was cited for failing to register her dog. They also extend to land records and other items.