Reality Starts to Sink In (1): Millions & Millions

A Vermont story in Times Argus by Louis Porter reports that the potential cost of real ID is sinking in.

A survey of motor vehicle officials nationwide about the Real ID Act found that the law could cost millions and hamper states' licensing efforts. The same could be true in Vermont, said Howard Deal, the state DMV's deputy commissioner. "It's not unique to Vermont," he said. "It is a nationwide problem."

The article quotes Allen Gilbert, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont:

"Real ID not only means a national ID, but will likely mean higher taxes and fees, longer lines, repeat visits to the Vermont DMV, bureaucratic snafus, and, for a lot of people, the inability to obtain a license," he said. "To top it off, it will do little if anything to prevent terrorism."

Then they get to the subject of the missing requirements:

For starters, the databases of documents required to implement the program's requirements do not in many cases exist yet, Deal said. And, although the law was passed last spring, the rules governing specifically how it will be implemented may not be completed for some time, he said.

"We are still waiting for the rules," said Deal.

Those rules, needed to craft the databases, procedures and communication links to enact the program, may not be completed until 2007, even though the program is supposed to go into effect in May 2008.

...

Those requirements may also undo DMV's efforts in recent years to shorten wait times and lines at service counters, Deal said.

"We have significantly cut down wait lines at counters," he said.

If the program goes into effect as it is now set up, he said, "when an individual comes into our office to get their license or ID card, they aren't going to leave with it the same day."

I've published this entry with the intent of bringing more useful information to all of you, and I've tried to choose my words carefully in order not to annoy or offend anyone. There, that ought to do it.