Daniels to BMV: Waive all late fees

[hippiechick]

Did anyone else see that smug asshole Silverman on Channel 13 saying that they're not going to waive late fees because "I report to the governor, not the people" ? Channel 6 did a nice bit going back to last year when he pushed to get branches closed on Monday's because "we want people to use the Express terminals" ... but then this week they got him on tape saying "the Express terminals were never meant to replace the branches, people should come to their local branch" (even though they're closed on Mondays)... :eyes:


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/NEWS02/608040524

By Tim Evans and Mary Beth Schneider

Gov. Mitch Daniels overrode BMV officials and ordered the agency on Thursday to waive all late fees for customers who have not been able to get their vehicles registered because of the bureau's computer problems. And for the first time, he said the agency's leadership may face repercussions over the fiasco surrounding the installation of a new computer system last month.

A day earlier, BMV Commissioner Joel Silverman said most people who hadn't yet received their license renewals had merely mailed them in late. Daniels, though, said he knows of too many cases where people had mailed them on time, yet were still waiting for tags.

"I've ordered that all late fees, regardless, be waived, which overrules a decision they made," Daniels told the Editorial Board of The Indianapolis Star. Daniels, a former top executive at Eli Lilly and Co., said that if something had gone this badly at Lilly, "there would have been repercussions, and there may well be (at the BMV)."

The $34 million upgrade, which the state has been working on since before Daniels took office, was supposed to improve the agency's computer system and help Indiana comply with new requirements designed to enhance homeland security. The work last month was the final phase of the conversion to the new computer system. "This conversion went very badly -- no excuses made," Daniels told Star reporters and editors. "The state had waited six years already (for the new computer system). It could have waited another month or two."

... more at link ...