DMV must do something about waits

To the editor:

In response to the Sept. 3 story "Drivers just wait, wait":

Having experienced the Department of Motor Vehicles fiasco, I would like to make a few suggestions as to what can be done to alleviate the long waits for driving exams.

In a businesses, if you get busy, you either work overtime or put on a second shift. Las Vegas is a 24-hour town, and I think putting on a second shift would solve two problems.

First of all, because many residents work during the day, the second shift would allow people to get tested after work and also keep the testing within the government facilities. Vishnu Subramaniam, chief of staff for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041, says the long waits are a staffing problem, but the DMV is prevented from hiring more staff because of the state's budget shortfall. Because a fee of at least $25 is charged for the driver's test, I think it would make sense to take applications for employment for additional employees to man a second shift.

DMV Director Bruce Breslow said he is considering a plan to hire private examiners to conduct driving exams. He said the private examiners would charge a higher fee but that it could cut the wait time down to a week. I think adding additional staff is the way to go because it would not only keep the testing within government control, it would also give some people a job. Nevada has one of the nation's highest unemployment rates, so it seems to me that we should do all we can to create a few jobs.

If the private examiners are going to charge more for testing, why not add an additional fee for testing in the evening? The cost to train additional employees is costly, I agree, but in the long run the state has done two things: It has done a service to the residents of the community, and it has taken a few people off unemployment.

RICHARD BAKER

HENDERSON