Red tape nightmare

Yesterday started like any other day, until I went to the courthouse to renew my driver’s license, which expires on Thursday. I asked (the employee) if I could get a star on my license and she said, “If you have the proper documents.” I had my birth certificate, Social Security card, voter ID, title to my mobile and my soon-to-expire driver’s license. I could not renew because my name on my birth certificate did not match the rest of my documents. I told her that I had been married 28 years ago and divorced 26 years ago but kept my married name. She needs my marriage license from 28 years ago. I don’t have that — this all happened in New York.

I paid $6.25 for a permit to drive and have 30 days to present proper documentation. Who knows how much that will cost and can it possibly be here in 29 days? When I moved to Florida 11 years ago, I took my New York license and my birth certificate to the DMV and got a Florida license. Four years ago I took my birth certificate and license to the DMV and renewed my license. Now it is a nightmare. Homeland Security is to blame; if it is a matter of security, why give the permit? Also, I told (the employee) that I might have my Social Security card with my maiden name on it with the same number.

That won’t work, she said. It is stuff like this that starts the spiral downward to where a person can’t straighten it out. Eric Holder is having a fit over asking for I.D. to vote, yet a person can’t renew their driver’s license without a major hassle.

People have to wake up and see that our rights are being stripped slow but surely. Imagine not being able to produce lost, damaged or nonexistent documents. You drive to work, get pulled over, get arrested, get fined, etc. The federal government needs to get out of our lives. These are the same people who want to run health care. Careful what you wish for, folks.

Charlene Rebmann
Inverness