More confusion
More confusion
After reading “Drivers puzzled by law,” (Tribune-Herald, May 26) I am more puzzled than ever! Why can’t the department of motor vehicles have a list of what is needed, categorically, to obtain a driver’s license, instead of leaving it to some reporter to further confuse the issue?
That list could include what is required for renewal (I’ve had one for 60 years), first-time applicants, out-of-state applicants, remarried persons and so on. That “list” could be published in the newspapers throughout the state and also at the entrances to the driver’s license departments throughout the state, whereupon a person could read it prior to waiting in line to be told by a clerk of that department what is needed.
As an example of the confusion, the article states, “For a U.S. citizen whose name is the same on his birth certificate and license, all that is needed is an original birth certificate and a Social Security card.” Then, two paragraphs on, the article states: “Such proof is not required when seeking a duplicate license, according to the division.”
Does this mean that I can have an original license, plus a duplicate (perhaps secreted away at home)? Come on, DMV, let’s get this mess straightened out! I would, however, have to give the reporter credit for trying to figure out a law that was written by attorneys who have a reputation for writing laws that the average person, including some judges, cannot interpret.
Ron Baptista
Mountain View
Help save the seals
This summer marks a milestone for those of us who work for the conservation of the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal. With private financial support, the Marine Mammal Center (based in Sausalito, Calif.) has the funds necessary to begin construction on a new hospital on the property of Natural Energy Lab of Hawaii dedicated solely to the care of orphaned, injured or ill Hawaiian monk seal pups and adults.
With what is known about the monk seal, its history in the islands and its role in a dynamic marine ecosystem, and when one considers its plight — 1,100 animals or less, a decline of 4 percent per year, competition for food, habitat loss, and marine debris entanglements, along with harmful human actions — this hospital couldn’t come at a more pivotal time.
With a 37-year-history of treating more than 17,500 seals and sea lions along California’s coast … the center has experience in veterinary care and marine mammal science and has long-standing programs in environmental education and community outreach. We look forward to joining the efforts of our many partners in Hawaii who have long been working toward the return of this iconic species and to working with new partners to provide opportunities in the community for involvement, education and job skills.
Together, we can all make a difference for this one species and for the oceans. Visit www.MarineMammalCenter.org/monkseal to learn more about the center and how you can help.
Dr. Jeff Boehm
Executive director,
The Marine Mammal
Center