Here's your big chance to straighten out Oklahoma's Department of Public Safety!

If you're a resident of Oklahoma, you know that there's been a big change in the way driver's licenses and state ID's are being issued in the state in the last year or two. It used to be a great system! All you had to do was show up at a tag agency, and, you could usually get your license or ID in mere minutes! On the spot! Not anymore. What we have now is a rather convoluted system, in which appointments are often required, and not kept, in which no actual ID is issued at the time, in which a paper "temporary ID or license" is issued that often is not accepted -- at social security offices, for example -- and in which the actual ID or license is supposedly mailed to your address from out of state, although no actual guarantee is provided that you will ever really receive it. What a terrific arrangement! Now, it's probably fairly likely that you will eventually get your license or ID. Still it would be much safer and more convenient to actually have it in your hand immediately, as used to be the case. It might be cheaper too, in case you have to order it several times before the State actually gets it right. I suppose the State is saving money this way at the cost of major deficits in actual service. However, most states do offer a kind of flexible arrangement, where you can have an "express" same day service, by waiting longer on line, or, possibly, by paying a small additional fee. Or, alternatively, if there's no rush for you to receive it, you can have it mailed to you, sometimes just by applying for it online. This lack of flexibility is, I suspect, a problem for a great many people, and, it should be corrected. And, this is your chance to do it. Right now! Here's the email address of Tim Tipton, the current Department of Public Safety Commissioner : tim.tipton@dps.ok.gov Isn't that a cool name -- "tim tipton"? I love the sound of it, don't you? I'm sure Tim's a really nice guy, but, just possibly, not the brightest penny in the mint. So, email him, and explain your problems to him. He should listen a bit, if enough people bug him about their problems, shouldn't he? Here's the email address of the previous Department of Public Safety Commissioner, Rusty Rhoades: rusty.rhoades@dps.ok.gov Now, there's another really cool name! Do you suppose that Oklahoma Public Safety commissioners are chosen specifically for their really cool sounding names? In any case, maybe Rusty could bug Tim a bit to provide better service to customers, and take a more flexible approach. Now, here's a site with a whole bunch of close friends of Commissioner Tim Tipton, including their email addresses: https://www.ok.gov/cleet/About_Us/Committee_Members/Council_Members/ bberryhill@brokenarrowok.gov klang@ecok.edu westc@ccsheriff.net aungela.spurlock@osbi.ok.gov danderson@obn.ok.gov DSweger@cityofguthrie.com dcluck@tuttleok.gov Elijah.hass@cityofmcalester.com randy.wesley@chickasaw.net russhigbie@hotmail.com toddyoung81@gmail.com Maybe, if you contact them, they could talk some sense into our good friend Tim Tipton. It's worth a try, isn't it? You know, be a little more flexible, Tim, and provide some on site service for those who need it. And here are the emails for the Oklahoma State House legislators who provide most of the funding for the Department of Public Safety, from the House Public Safety Committee: Robert.Manger@okhouse.gov John.George@okhouse.gov Regina.Goodwin@okhouse.gov John.Kane@okhouse.gov David.Hardin@okhouse.gov Jason.Lowe@okhouse.gov Justin.Humphrey@okhouse.gov Stan.May@okhouse.gov Now, these people actually pay Tim Tipton's salary, so, he's pretty likely to listen to them, don't you think? So, if you can get their attention with your concerns, well, he's probably going to get pretty cooperative! So, here's your big chance guys and gals, to actually have a positive effect on State government in Oklahoma. So, contact these fine people, see if they'll listen to your concerns. After all, what do you have to lose, except your chains?