One more reason to despise the DMV

Most people hate going to the DMV for one reason: the massive lines. Well, those lines may get even longer if the Senate votes to pass a new U.S. immigration bill which obliges states to adopt a uniform driver's license. With this comes a requirement that state DMV's verify that their applicants are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants to make sure that terrorists don't get their hands on a license. This bill was approved by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives in a 261-161 vote.

This is just one example (most likely there are many more to come) of Bush's new initiative to tighten up on U.S. immigration. I respect the fact that the president is concerned about the safety of American citizens, but why do we need to bring the INS to the DMV? It may seem like a simple extra measure to the folks on the Hill, but it is clear that state governments are not happy about being slapped with this mandate without financial assistance from Washington.

"Governors, state legislators and motor vehicle departments have all argued that requiring verification of background information such as Social Security numbers and whether a person is in the United States legally would be burdensome.
The National Governors Association and a group representing motor vehicle department administrators said in a letter to House leaders that the measure is a "massive unfunded mandate."

As if the DMV couldn't get even more inefficient and bureaucratic. Now you have to plan on your license renewal being more of a day trip than an errand. In a nation that is used to picking up burgers at a drive-through window in under a minute, it would be best to brace yourself as this bill is passed on to the Senate for review.