Assemblyman Questions MVC Officials on Privatization Prospects During Assembly Budget Committee Hearing
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) on Tuesday questioned Motor Vehicle Commission officials during an Assembly Budget hearing over whether the agency is considering the controversial practice of privatizing motor vehicle inspections.
“The very idea that privatization is even being considered is troubling because we all know who these costs burden the most.
“It is not wealthier residents, many of whom can afford to lease new cars regularly and will never see an inspection station. It is the working poor and struggling middle class who would be saddled with having to pay for this government-mandated function.
“For an agency that has rebounded nicely from blunders of the past, this raises the question, much like the lottery privatization, ‘If it ain’t broke, why fix it?’
“Ultimately, who would privatization benefit? Certainly not working families who are already struggling to get by and would now have to pay to take their car to a private garage for inspections.
“In the end, this is a road best left untraveled,” said Johnson.