In Connecticut, we have had a series of tax increases over the last few years. Right now, Connecticut is one of the highest taxed states in the country. So the question arises: What do we get for all those taxes?
This may not be a full answer, but I think it is a tale worth recounting. Eight days ago, the lease on my wife's car came to an end and we had to turn it in at the dealer. When we returned the car, the dealer gave us the license plates since these have to be returned to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. The nearest DMV office is about 15 miles away, but depending on the traffic, it can take an hour to get there. Last Friday, I had an opening in my schedule and decided to bring the plates in then. Fortunately, I checked on the internet and found that the DMV was closed for Good Friday. In Connecticut, we are very careful about keeping church and state separate except when it comes to employee holidays and state office closings. They can close the DMV for Good Friday, but they cannot allow the workers to wear a cross.
In any event, I decided to go the next morning to return the plates. I drove to the DMV office early on Saturday and found that there was nowhere to park. I circled through the large parking lot, but each open space either was marked "employees only" or was a handicap space. After about ten minutes of searchng, I found an open space. Three minutes later, I was approaching the front of the DMV only to discover that there was a line outside the building leading up to the door. There were about 150 people in that line and a DMV representative standing at the end of the line. I asked the DMV employee if this line was for people returning plates or if it was just for things like registration and drivers' tests which took time. His response was "this is the line to enter the building." I tried again and asked if I had to stand in the line if I was just dropping off the plates. His response was "this is the line to enter the building." I said to him that I had heard that the first time, but I wondered if for something that took only seconds like dropping off plates I would have to stand in that line. His response was "this is the line to enter the building." I got in the line. Fifteen minutes later I was still in the line and I had not moved at all. All that had happened is that four more people had asked questions of the DMV and been told "this is the line to enter the building." About ten more people had joined the line at that point. I decided then to set a time limit. I told myself that if the line did not move in five more minutes, I would leave and come back another day. While I waited, I passed the time wondering if the DMV representative was actually a real person or if he was one of the autoanimatronic figures like the ones in Disneyworld. Five minutes later, I had not moved, so I left.
On Monday, I decided to go to the DMV in the afternoon. Fortunately, I checked the web site and found that the office was closed that day.
This afternoon, I went back to the DMV. It only took 10 minutes to find a parking space and there was no line outside the building. I was ecstatic. I entered the building only to find roughly 40 people standing in a line in the area where one returns plates. There were three people behind the counter who were handling the folks in line. Within two minutes, two out of the three DMV employees had gone on break. I waited in line for about a half hour. By that time, I was nearing the front of the line. When only four people were left in front of me, one of the DMV employees came back and began to take people from the line. Within about two more minutes, I actually got to the desk. I handed my plates to the man behind the counter. He punched their numbers/letters into his computer and hit enter. A receipt printed out. He handed it to me. That was it. It took at least 20 seconds.
I don't want to forget that the parking lot at the DMV was filled with potholes. These were not small holes. One was about three feet in diameter and about one foot deep. Similar holes were all over the place.
I find it hard to imagine where all those tax dollars actually go. It certainly is not to make the DMV function better.
This may not be a full answer, but I think it is a tale worth recounting. Eight days ago, the lease on my wife's car came to an end and we had to turn it in at the dealer. When we returned the car, the dealer gave us the license plates since these have to be returned to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. The nearest DMV office is about 15 miles away, but depending on the traffic, it can take an hour to get there. Last Friday, I had an opening in my schedule and decided to bring the plates in then. Fortunately, I checked on the internet and found that the DMV was closed for Good Friday. In Connecticut, we are very careful about keeping church and state separate except when it comes to employee holidays and state office closings. They can close the DMV for Good Friday, but they cannot allow the workers to wear a cross.
In any event, I decided to go the next morning to return the plates. I drove to the DMV office early on Saturday and found that there was nowhere to park. I circled through the large parking lot, but each open space either was marked "employees only" or was a handicap space. After about ten minutes of searchng, I found an open space. Three minutes later, I was approaching the front of the DMV only to discover that there was a line outside the building leading up to the door. There were about 150 people in that line and a DMV representative standing at the end of the line. I asked the DMV employee if this line was for people returning plates or if it was just for things like registration and drivers' tests which took time. His response was "this is the line to enter the building." I tried again and asked if I had to stand in the line if I was just dropping off the plates. His response was "this is the line to enter the building." I said to him that I had heard that the first time, but I wondered if for something that took only seconds like dropping off plates I would have to stand in that line. His response was "this is the line to enter the building." I got in the line. Fifteen minutes later I was still in the line and I had not moved at all. All that had happened is that four more people had asked questions of the DMV and been told "this is the line to enter the building." About ten more people had joined the line at that point. I decided then to set a time limit. I told myself that if the line did not move in five more minutes, I would leave and come back another day. While I waited, I passed the time wondering if the DMV representative was actually a real person or if he was one of the autoanimatronic figures like the ones in Disneyworld. Five minutes later, I had not moved, so I left.
On Monday, I decided to go to the DMV in the afternoon. Fortunately, I checked the web site and found that the office was closed that day.
This afternoon, I went back to the DMV. It only took 10 minutes to find a parking space and there was no line outside the building. I was ecstatic. I entered the building only to find roughly 40 people standing in a line in the area where one returns plates. There were three people behind the counter who were handling the folks in line. Within two minutes, two out of the three DMV employees had gone on break. I waited in line for about a half hour. By that time, I was nearing the front of the line. When only four people were left in front of me, one of the DMV employees came back and began to take people from the line. Within about two more minutes, I actually got to the desk. I handed my plates to the man behind the counter. He punched their numbers/letters into his computer and hit enter. A receipt printed out. He handed it to me. That was it. It took at least 20 seconds.
I don't want to forget that the parking lot at the DMV was filled with potholes. These were not small holes. One was about three feet in diameter and about one foot deep. Similar holes were all over the place.
I find it hard to imagine where all those tax dollars actually go. It certainly is not to make the DMV function better.
1 comment:
Jeff,
Couldn't agree with you more re. CT tax burden, but could have saved yourself the DMV aggravation and simply mailed the plates to CT DMV.
See: http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=810&q=245050
for:
"you may send the plate(s) to:
DMV
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
Attn: Plate Return
Please enclose a written request to cancel the registration and indicate whether you would like a receipt. A receipt will be mailed to the address that is on file with DMV. If you have moved out of state you must enclose a self addressed stamped envelope for the receipt to be mailed to you."
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