Maryland, with its loose driver's license requirements, has become quite a popular destination for immigrants -- and, no doubt, illegals -- looking for a free ride.
The Old Line State's Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) reports weekly out-of-country license applications have nearly doubled since March. And what a coincidence, this parallels renewed calls for amnesty for illegals.
Maryland's lure is that it's one of only eight states that do not require a legal residence to get a driver's license. All that's needed is a relative's Maryland address and you're in. (Maryland has no way to verify whether someone is falsely using a relative's address, according to an MVA official.)
Whether or not President Bush gets his amnesty plan, Maryland undoubtedly will get the bill for increased social services for all those immigrants without insurance -- that is, if they stay put or use their dandy new Maryland licenses in other states.
And whom do motorists turn to if an uninsured illegal on the road runs into the family van⢠They could appeal to Maryland's Democrat-controlled Legislature, which thrice has rejected tougher licensing standards.
There is a silver lining: Under the Real ID Act, licenses from states that do not verify applicants' legal presence won't have the same clout. But that doesn't kick in until 2008.
By then, the damage already will be done.
