How stupid government decisions cost you money. A case study.
Ever wonder why it costs so much to live in a place like, say, New York State?
Well how about this: power-addled politicians pass legislation or (if their first name happens to be Eliot) issue edicts; inevitably that legislation has unintended consequences; and odds are those consequences cost us money.
A text book example is now playing out in real time, thanks to Spitzer’s “drivers licenses for illegals” scheme.
As explained by the Buffalo News, under the Federal government’s legislation intended to drive improvements to ID security and reliability –the REAL ID act:
. . . states [will] face a choice.
They can opt out of the REAL ID plan altogether — but if they do, all their driver’s licenses will be useless as federal ID when the law takes full effect in 2013. So if New York opts out, its residents would need a passport to get on a plane or enter a federal building.
Got that? If NYS goes that route, every NYS resident who wants to board a plane — even if you’re just flying say, from Rochester to La Guardia — will first have to purchase a passport. $100. Ka-ching.
Alternatively, NYS could decide to comply with the REAL ID plan. But if it does, NYS will have to offer two different licenses. One version will be federally-approved — it can’t be issued to anyone without a valid SS number — and one that is state-approved.
Which of course adds to the administrative complexity of our motor vehicle licensing processes, which makes it more costly. Ka-ching. Again.
The residents of New York State pay more taxes than residents of any other state in the country.
Given that fact, you would think the first question that should enter any NYS politicians’ mind when he considers ANY sort of legislation or edict or policy would be “will this make my state more expensive”?
Yeah, right. Don’t hold your breath.
Technorati Tags: New York State drivers license
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:26 am
While I agree we shouldn’t be giving driver’s licenses to illegals, I have to disagree that Spitzer is the cause of our problems with the RealID. Paranoid, coward republicans still scared of “terrorists” (hint: real Americans aren’t scared of the terrorists. Never were, never will be.) have convinced the mindless masses that these IDs will bring about a new age of peace, prosperity and safety. Like the other states that have rejected RealID, I’m behind NY doing the same. Once we get the emperor off the throne he’s built in the White House, we can see about eliminating the plan entirely.
October 22nd, 2007 at 8:15 pm
I have educated myself enough about RealID to form an opinion of it. But whatever NYS does they ought to consider the costs to taxpayers. Making us pay out of our pocketbooks like this is nothing short of vile, considering how much living here costs us already.
Nor do I believe for one second that Spitzer is doing this out of some principaled stance about RealID. He’s doing it for political reasons — to please immigrant groups, to raise more money from immigrant groups, and (most likely) add immigrants — legal or not — to Dem voter roles.