LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Dear Editor:
It is supremely ironic that as gasoline prices top $3 per gallon, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles is deciding that thousands of Hoosiers should drive dozens of more miles just to get the services that state government requires of them. The BMV is completely missing the point. Closing license branches is bad economics.
Of course, many of us who serve in the General Assembly want to see government costs go down. We have been making the point for years that the cost of operating the BMV is escalating out of control. But the whole point is to save taxpayers money. This isn’t about the sanctity of the state’s treasury; it’s about the cost of living to our citizens. Now more branches across the state are being closed. The reason appears to be that each transaction at those branches costs state government something in the vicinity of 30 cents. So now, affected motorists will have to drive additional distances (up to 30 more miles per round trip in some cases) to help the BMV save 30 cents.
Am I missing something here? How are we making Hoosiers better off by forcing them to buy a gallon or two of gasoline out of their weekly checks so that we can save them 30 cents in taxes? Never mind that it may now take another hour of a person’s time to complete the required transaction, even if they show up with all of the proper documents the first time. Never mind that the lines in the larger branches will balloon even further. Never mind that the closings will have an adverse impact on the economies of the small towns that struggle so hard to bring people to their business districts. If the BMV can’t figure out ways to make transactions less expensive, then the bureaucrats should at least hold off on their decisions until the legislature can address reasonable alternatives. Citizens may not like the idea of paying an extra dollar for each transaction, but most would clearly rather pay the dollar than buy another gallon of gas and spend another hour getting to the branch.
The license branches were once privately operated at a profit with less cost to the taxpayers and motorists than we are spending now. If Indiana can privatize its prisons, wouldn’t privatizing license branches be worth discussing? Government exists to combine resources so that citizens are better off. The BMV needs to look at what is happening across the country and state and work to reduce the burden on the people who, one way or the other, pay the bill.
Sincerely,
State Senator David Ford
Chairman Senate Economic Development & Technology Committee
Hartford City
Editors Note: The Ossian BMV License Branch is scheduled to close September 17, 2005.
> Read More Information About Us
> More Articles Written By Our Staff
- Celebrating 20 Years Of Community At The Stand - April 12, 2024
- First Positive Case Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Indiana - April 12, 2024
- Southwest Allen County Schools Embark On Major Tree Plantings - April 12, 2024