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gungadin09 -> RE: Government out of control. And stupid. (4/24/2011 5:06:31 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: gungadin09
i guess that begs the question why Homeland Security got involved in the first place.
i guess i can answer this now. The Real ID Act of 2005 set new rules for how thoroughly the DMV must research a person's identity and immigration status before issuing a drivers license.
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nprm_realid.pdf
Apparently, Homeland Security also keeps a database of the info on certain people's licenses. The DMV and Homeland Security must be sharing information.
http://www.drivers.com/article/971/
Something must have seemed fishy about the Burmese students, like maybe they didn't read English well enough to have passed the written test, and that was the red flag that started the investigation. I'm not sure i have a problem with that, although it's hard to say without knowing exactly *what* triggered the investigation.
There are parts of this story that i'm uncomfortable with. Like, why didn't the DMV simply suspend those licenses instead of revoking them, pending proof that they were real, and why should anyone whose license was legit have to pay to get it reinstated? Exactly who is investigating this, the DMV or Homeland security, or both? What was the initial red flag that started the investigation? And whether those who had their licenses suspended really bear the burden of proof?
i am comfortable with the fact that the DMV, or Homeland Security, or whoever, investigates the identity of anyone applying for a driver's license, and that they keep their own database of that information. i am comfortable with the DMV suspending the license (i would have preferred that they be suspended and not revoked) of anyone who they have reason to believe didn't obtain it legitimately, pending proof that they *did*.
What bothers me most about this story is the fact that the driving instructor apparently also had the authority to administer written and practical driving tests, and simply reported the results to the DMV. (If i understand what i read, which is not always the case, lol). If that's what actually happened then it was a clear conflict of interest, and i'm not suprised that the system got abused. As far as i know, that doesn't happen in California. i had to go to the DMV to take my written test for a permit, as well as my driving test. i never took a driver's ed class for the written part, but my driver's training instructor only gave me driving lessons, he did not administer the driving test. i would imagine that if a private school had the authority to administer the test, that they would pass nearly everybody, since it's in their own interests to have a high pass rate. That seems like a system that's ripe for abuse.
pam
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