El Paso County Commissioners Want To Help Drivers Pass Vehicle Inspections

Could you be paying two extra dollars on your vehicle registration to help pay for a program that would help get car repairs or a car that passes inspection for some El Paso drivers? You might if County Commissioners vote to participate in a program meant to help the owners of vehicles that fail inspection.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality wants cleaner air, and to make sure that people pass their vehicle inspections, so they told Commissioners about the program earlier this week. To qualify, the owner of a vehicle that fails state inspection would need to meet low income requirements and prove they cannot afford to fix the vehicle. They would then get either $600 to fix the vehicle, or get $3,500 to buy a vehicle that passes inspection.

The County would have to add $2 to the registration sticker fee to help fund the program.

I think this is a bad idea because you are bailing out drivers who can't afford to drive. Driving is not a right, it's a privilege. If you can't afford insurance or car repairs, then you shouldn't be on the road. If you hit my car and you aren't insured, my insurance will pay for it, but my rates will go up to offset the cost of fixing a car hit by you because you have no insurance company to cover your financial responsibility for the accident.

In short, if you can't be financially responsible, stay off the road. I don't want to have to pay two more bucks because of it.