[105234] in Cypherpunks
Re: IP: [FP] L.A. DMV Tries to Stem the Tide of Fake Licenses
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lucky Green)
Sun Nov 8 23:32:40 1998
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 05:14:53 +0100 (CET)
From: Lucky Green <shamrock@cypherpunks.to>
To: Bill Stewart <bill.stewart@pobox.com>
cc: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19981107232750.008f4e70@idiom.com>
Reply-To: Lucky Green <shamrock@cypherpunks.to>
On Sat, 7 Nov 1998, Bill Stewart wrote:
> Anyway, ....
> The State has been forcing people to turn over private information,
> such as SSNs and addresses, to an organization known to be riddled with
> graft, information selling, and illegal issuing of licenses.
> "We have, in effect, created a cottage industry,"
> said Steve Solem, a DMV deputy director.
> One of the big encouragements to this cottage industry has been
> the anti-immigrant Pete Wilson administration's policy that
> speaking Spanish causes bad driving so undocumented immigrants
> can't be allowed to drive. The article also points to other
> groups of people denied permission to travel for non-safety-related reasons.
At the core of the problem certainly lies the fact that driver licenses in
today's age are used primarily for purposes other than establishing that
an individual has proven that they are competent to operate a motor
vehicle. Driver licenses are frequently confused with a document
establishing identity if not legal residency status.
My non-resident girlfriend, who visits me regularly, applied for a driving
license in CA and passed the test. Comes out, the license will be only
valid for as long as her tourist visa is valid. 90 days. Never mind the
fact that she probably visits me about once every 90 days (thus being able
to get a new tourist visa each time), and never mind the fact that there
is no known correlation between visa expiration and loss of driving
abilities.
-- Lucky Green <shamrock@cypherpunks.to> PGP v5 encrypted email preferred.
