The more I deal with government. . .

. . . The more it confirms what I think of it.

By Douglas V. Gibbs

As a constitutionalist,  I already have a fairly low opinion of government.   I support the ideas of self-reliance, personal responsibility,  individualism and liberty.  I suppose you could call me a Jeffersonian,  a person that agrees with President Ronald Reagan's assertion that government can't solve problems, government is the problem.

In March I was struck by a vehicle and placed on temporary disability.  In May my pickup truck failed California's smog obstacle for a problem that has nothing to do with pollutants,  and everything to do with a problem that technically is not in need of repair.

So, here I stand in a line around the corner and up the street at the Department of Motor vehicles,  and after I am done here,  off to the Employment Development Department Disability division (once again) to continue the conversation about why I've gotten two checks since March.  EDD has a phone center (I can see a lot of people on the phone when I visit), but it is impossible to get through.  After going through a menu of pressing a series of numbers to get where you want, it tells you that the phone queue is full, and then hangs up on you.  The office told me they would mail me a form I need, of which I never received.  My doctor then filled out a form to get them to mail me the form I need.  I never got the form I need.

At DMV, they opened up the greeting after hearing my conundrum with, "Let's see what you can qualify for?"

The truck always passes the actual smog test with flying colors,  but years ago,  after a friend failed to treat my truck as if it was his own,  the transmission went out.   The repair went splendidly, but one of the parts was an aftermarket part.  The truck, recognizing that the part was not a genuine Toyota Tundra part, decided to trigger the check engine light - an automatic fail when it comes to the smog test.  The transmission works fine. We've had it checked out a number of times.   But, after dealing with the Bureau of Automotive Repair, the final decision is that I can't drive the truck until I repair it.

Are you kidding me?  They want me to spend more than a thousand dollars on a fifteen year old vehicle to repair a transmission that is not broken, or else they won't give me a little sticker.

The more I deal with government, the more it confirms what I already think about it.

UPDATE:  After sitting in line for two and a half hours at the DMV, and after telling the woman the whole story, I was told that as the law was written, I need to repair my transmission that does not need repair if I want to drive the vehicle.  She gave me two one-day passes, one for the day I take it to the shop to make the repair that does not need repair, and the second for the day I take the truck to the smog center.

UPDATE:  The EDD office told me they will mail me the form, that I have requested twice before, and have never received.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary