Just Sayin’: Fed up with fees, charges and surcharges
A sample of a New York State ennhanced driver's license. Credit: NY DMV
I recently went to the Department of Motor Vehicles in Westbury to upgrade my driver’s license to an “enhanced” license, which, according to the DMV website, was to cost $30.
When the attendant checked my documents, she asked for $42.50. I told her that the website said $30, and she told me there was a $12.50 processing fee. What was the $30 fee for, if not to process the enhanced license?
It angers me that our local and state governments constantly add or increase processing fees on services instead of actually balancing their budgets.
Now it seems there is often a charge, a processing fee and a surcharge for the same service. No matter how you look at it, residents are always paying for the inexcusable overspending practices of our government officials.
The public should get a detailed explanation of what is covered by a charge, the processing fee and the surcharge. Pretty soon, we will be charged simply for the privilege of entering a government building.
April Plante, Floral Park
Why so much litter on our roadways?
Am I the only one weary of seeing trash on the roads of Nassau County?
I passed Frost Avenue at Old Country Road recently and was dismayed to see a wooded area loaded with trash. That’s not the only littered area, but one of many.
We pay some of the highest taxes in the country, yet I feel that we are drowning in unsightly litter.
Karen Blicker, Hicksville
Put alcohol interlocks on all vehicles
As manufacturers work to improve automobile safety, there is one device that should be mandatory on all vehicles: an ignition interlock. This is used to determine whether a driver is impaired by alcohol and unable to safely operate the car.
Every day I see drivers speeding, texting and failing to use turn signals. Add substance impairment to the mix, and our roads become that much more dangerous.
Plus, in this age in which nearly everyone has a cellphone, it’s easy to call a taxi service or a friend for a ride home if this device prevents a car from starting.
Mark Vaccaro, Smithtown
