D.C. GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION AND INEPTITUDE: Another episode.

UPDATE: Reader Doug Jordan emails:

Having recently written you with moderate support for the DC police department, I have no hesitation in blowing the whistle on the DC Department of Motor Vehicles.

My contest to a traffic ticket was just denied. My offense: driving with an expired registration. Reason: even though it is UNDISPUTED that I renewed on time, and paid the fee on time (I have receipts), and it is UNDISPUTED that the district did not register the renewal or issue the stickers (they did both after the ticket was issued, under pressure from my Councilwoman, based on the earlier registration and payment), the adjudicator rules that it was nevertheless MY responsibility to have gotten the sticker.

How? By forgery? Lessee here, three-part process: 1) I register and pay fee; 2) DMV issues sticker; 3) I affix sticker. I did 1), and was prepared to do 3), but was prevented from doing so by non-occurrence of 2), which was kinda outside my control.

Oh, should I have stopped driving when the registration expired without DMV action? Acquiesce in revocation of driving privileges without due process? I think not.

My councilwoman’s staff is frustrated and angry. But I have no recourse but to pay $100 ticket and appeal, which costs an extra $10, with little hope of seeing the money again. To add injury and insult to injury and insult, today’s mail brought news that my license had been suspended for non-response to the ticket — two days after receiving an adjudication predicated on my response!

Kafka on the Potomac. I called a Virginia real estate broker on Thursday. DC ineptitude, illustrated.

I once got a ticketed in D.C. for “driving through a flashing yellow light.” I beat it in court (my novel defense: it’s not against the law to drive through a flashing yellow light) but I shouldn’t have had to.

Don McArthur is also unimpressed with the District’s state of governance.