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Opinion | It's time for Tennessee to take over the clerk's office | Richard Ransom

With his tags expiring in October, Richard Ransom explains why he thinks the license plate fiasco with the clerk's office won't be resolved before then.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — My tags expire in October and I'm getting very concerned this license plate fiasco won't be resolved before then.

I've always liked Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert. I don't understand why she had begged for weeks to get more money for postage, and when commissioners give her $540,000 in emergency funds, now she says no thanks. 

Why is she more worried about technicalities and not just taking the money to mail our tags?

I also don't understand how that $5 fee we all pay to get our tags mailed somehow isn't enough.

I don't understand how we apparently didn't anticipate that when Tennessee changed its license plate design for the first time since 2006, as it did this year, it would take more money to mail out big plates than to send out those little stickers.

What I do understand is this is a very basic function of government. It's something that Tennessee's 94 other counties are handling just fine.

Democrat, Republican, or Independent, we all paid for our renewals, yet none have been sent out since May 19? It's time for the state to get involved and take over the clerk's office because this is embarrassing. 

I'd love to hear what you think. Join the conversation by email, Facebook or Twitter.

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