Thread: TX temporary license plates a threat to nat'l security

Counterfeit Cardboard License Plates May Jeopardize National Security

POSTED: 7:54 pm MST March 13, 2006


March 13, 2006 -- The El Paso county tax assessor-collector says temporary cardboard tags are issued by car dealers to the customer but they can easily be counterfeited. The tags can be altered by using a marker or white out.

"I can go and buy a counterfeit license plate for $20, I can put in in my car and drive it forever and ever," said David Marquez, the enforcement director for the county tax assessor-collector's office.

The county tax assessor-collector says the biggest concern is that once the cardboard tags are placed on the vehicle, there's no way for law enforcement agencies to trace the vehicle. State officials believe terrorists can use these to hide their identity.

The problem has now caught the attention of the state legislature, which has ordered the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a study on how significant the problem is and how to fix it.

The state is studying an electronic tag system that would keep the vehicle owner's name in a database, which they feel would considerably cut down the amount of counterfeiting.

Licensed dealers would go to a state-secured Web site, record and enter the vehicles they are selling then print the cardboard tags out.

But until then, the state is doing a band-aid solution.

"The state came up with this number, basically it's going to place a control number on the license plates issued, this is on a temporary basis," said Marquez.

That program will go into effect on May 1.


http://www.kfoxtv.com/bordersecurity/index.html




THERE IS ALSO A LINK ON THIS PAGE TO VOTE FOR BUSH'S BORDER SECURITY PERFORMANCE

I've often wondered about those cardboard license plates. Who's to say how many people working at the car dealerships aren't illegals who are stealing them?

I voted on all the surveys....nice site.
RR

RR--it's the FOX News site that covers local news for El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM area. Many say Fox is one sided but it is the only station I've seen in this are that isn't afraid to tell it like it is.