For more than three years, Americans living on the East Coast have been finding their states increasingly cold to the idea of registering tiny cars imported from Japan. Maine, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia all have some problem with otherwise legal vintage cars from Japan, and now you can add Massachusetts to that list. The state has secretly rolled out a new policy that bans Kei vehicles, but accidentally has the effect of banning all over 25-year-old vehicles from Japan, but not from any other country. That’s bad enough, but the state isn’t really telling enthusiasts why.
I feel like I’m beginning to sound like a broken record here. It was just last week when I reported that Michigan has launched its own Kei vehicle ban. Almost immediately after that story, David McChristian, the founder of Lone Star Kei and the advocate we worked with on the story of the big win in Texas, reached out to me with news that trouble was brewing in Massachusetts.
However, unlike these previous states, Massachusetts decided to roll out a new policy before creating any public-facing documents on the matter. As a result, Kei vehicle enthusiasts are experiencing headaches at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (the DMV to almost everyone else) and they do not know why. I reached out to the state and after hearing the most depressing hold music for too many hours, I finally have an answer.
Massachusetts Begins Banning Cars
I was tipped off to a potential new RMV policy in Massachusetts when readers and advocates began sending me reports that owners of cars imported from Japan are getting turned away from registration.
Reports have been piling into the newly-created ‘Massachusetts JDM Imports Advocates‘ Facebook group as well as the ‘New England Mini Kei Truck / Van JDM Group CT NY MA RI VT NH ME NJ scene’ group. There’s been a lot of confusion thanks to the way that Massachusetts has decided to enact its new policy. As of right now, the owner of an imported Japanese market vehicle can go to an RMV office and if they walk out with a registration seems to hinge heavily on if the office is aware of the new policy. If the office is aware of the new policy, the vehicle owner is told that their vehicle cannot be registered.
As of now, the Massachusetts RMV offices have not been clear as to why this is happening. Some have been told it’s because the state no longer registers imports with short VINs and some were told that the state no longer registers vehicles that do not meet American safety standards. Raymond Moy received this paper:
The problem with this document is that it doesn’t really reference any state law. Why is a short VIN suddenly a problem? It should be noted that Massachusetts enthusiasts have been able to register legally imported vehicles prior to this, so it’s not like a short Vehicle Identification Number was a problem in the past.
Unfortunately, the lack of communication from the state has led to a lot of speculation. If Massachusetts has banned short VINs, what does this mean for classic cars? 17-digit VINs didn’t become standard in America until 1981. If you are generous and assume the state is just targeting imports with short VINs, it still means an effective total ban on cars imported from Japan since Japanese market vehicles, even newer ones, don’t have the VIN format the state would be looking for.
One enthusiast got pretty close to the core of the issue, but even Massachusetts gave him a cold shoulder:
I’m not satisfied with guesswork, so I decided to find out what’s going on for myself.
Massachusetts Accidentally Bans All JDM Cars
I started off my search by combing through the Mass RMV website system. As of publishing, here’s what the website says about “Imported Foreign Vehicles:”
I’ve been digging these pages for a while and did not find a single mention of denying registration to an imported vehicle that complies with the infamous “25-year rule.”
For those of you not following this journey, America bans the importation of a vehicle unless it is either converted to EPA and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or is at least 25 years old. The EPA rule is a 21-year ban, but it is still effectively a 25-year ban since you’re usually trying to import a whole car. Anyway, once a car is at least 25 years old, the federal government no longer cares how safe the vehicle is.
However, there are two prongs to legalizing an imported vehicle, and pleasing the feds is just one of them. Your second hurdle is the state. The states reserve the right to dictate what vehicles can and cannot drive on their roads and as we’ve been seeing for more than three years, some states do not care if your vehicle got through Customs without a problem.
I’ve spent several hours looking into this and have finally reached a breakthrough this morning. First, I have to say that Massachusetts has the most depressing hold music I’ve listened to in years. It’s as if the RMV knows you’re in for a bad time.
Anyway, I first contacted the state’s RMV helpline, where I spoke with a call center representative before being punted to a supervisor. That supervisor then sent me to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, who sent me to Jacquelyn Goddard, the MassDOT Director of Communications. That ended up being a dead end as Goddard didn’t answer the phone and the line did not allow me to leave a message. So, I sent them an email. I also contacted Colleen Ogilvie, The Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
Sadly, I found myself spinning my wheels without any more information than the enthusiasts had. But, I don’t like to give up that easily and I called up the RMV Titling Department. The person at the call center had no idea what I was talking about but sent me up to the supervisor team, where I spoke with Natasha.
Thankfully, Natasha knows all about what’s happening right now and she will be in a meeting later today where the details of the ban will be finalized. She was able to give me the specifics of the current policy but warned that details may change after today’s meeting. Once the state irons out what it wants to do with imported vehicles, it will update its website, train its offices, and send out documentation.
So, here’s what’s currently happening with imported vehicles. Natasha tells me that as of right now, the RMV is under orders from its legal department to deny the registration of vehicles believed to be in Japan’s tiny Kei class. The list of vehicles is currently:
Honda Acty (truck and van)
Suzuki Carry/Every
Mitsubishi Minicab (truck and van)
Autozam/Mazda Scrum (truck and van)
Subaru Sambar (truck and van)
Isuzu Mini Truck
Nissan Clipper
Toyota LiteAce/TownAce
Daihatsu Hijet/Atrai
Now, this list is quite interesting. I’m not aware of an “Isuzu Mini Truck” or even an Isuzu Kei truck of any kind. The smallest trucks Isuzu has sold are larger than Kei size. The same goes for the Toyota LiteAce (above) and the TownAce, which were sold in America in the past. Those vans are far larger than Kei vans. I’m also scratching my head a bit over the inclusion of the Nissan Clipper since that Kei vehicle launched in 2003, so they aren’t even legal to import yet, anyway.
(Update, June 21: Another report has come in of an RMV refusal to register a JDM 1996 Honda Civic. The state claims to be targeting Keis, but is applying the new policy to seemingly any JDM vehicle.)
Natasha explained to me that the state is targeting vehicles that do not meet FMVSS, with a focus on vehicles the state identifies to be in the Kei class. The RMV identifies a Kei vehicle through the above list and through a short VIN. The state’s logic is that this will be for safety since a Kei vehicle is not built to FMVSS.
I’m sure you can see the problem here. Not only does the above list include vehicles outside of the Kei class, but the state doesn’t seem to be aware that short VINs are not limited to Kei vehicles. A large Nissan Civilian bus will have a short VIN, as would a Toyota Century. I asked Natasha about how the state will interpret short VINs and she told me that they will be applied only to vehicles believed to be in the Kei class with a short VIN. The state is not looking to deny registration to vehicles imported from other countries, either. So, you could import a Japanese car that was sold in Europe and the state wouldn’t care. But that same car from Japan would be a problem.
Unfortunately, since the state doesn’t seem to be very good at identifying Kei vehicles, this means anyone trying to register an imported Japanese vehicle can be rolling the dice.
I also asked Natasha about the many enthusiasts with vehicles already registered in the state. She told me that as of right now, the state should not be looking to revoke their plates. However, Natasha also warned that could change after today’s meeting. Those who registered their vehicles in the past month or so may also see their plates revoked.
What I have been able to confirm is that no matter what happens in today’s meeting, Massachusetts will be moving forward with removing what it thinks are Kei vehicles from its roads. This will put enthusiasts into a bind and some people are already considering registering their vehicles in Montana to avoid this debacle.
What You Can Do Right Now
Unfortunately, if you’ve followed my work for long enough, you will know where I’m going with this. It would appear that Massachusetts is following guidance issued by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. I’ve written about these folks so much I can almost recite them like poetry, but click here to learn more about the AAMVA and why it’s a problem.
The group has been coming down hard on imported vehicles since the summer of 2021, with the publishing of a document instructing member states to ban any vehicle that doesn’t meet FMVSS. They’re the reason why so many states are suddenly banning vehicles seemingly out of nowhere. The crazy part about all of this is while the AAMVA has an ax to grind against Kei trucks, the group really wants to remove all gray market imports from America. So, if you’re a fan of any once-forbidden fruit from anywhere, not just tiny cars from Japan, you will want to do what you can to stop the spread of these bans.
Texas and North Carolina saw great success. They didn’t sue their state. Instead, they collaborated with their states’ lawmakers and DMV administrators. They educated their lawmakers and DMVs on what Kei vehicles are and why they should be legal. North Carolina’s enthusiasts won the privilege to drive Kei trucks on the road in 2019 while Texas was the first to beat the post-2021 AAMVA recommendations.
Enthusiasts in Texas and North Carolina recommend banding groups together to change laws and policies through collaboration rather than fighting. Sadly, the folks of Georgia can tell you that a lawsuit isn’t cheap nor quick. Remember that a state essentially has unlimited money to drag out a case as long as it wants to.
Of course, sometimes the state just doesn’t want to hear it. That’s the nightmare being faced by people in Maine and Rhode Island right now. Eventually, you may end up left with no other choice than sliding a lawyer into the courtroom.
As always, we’ll continue monitoring the imported vehicle situation in America and update you when we have news. We’re also working on getting closer into the AAMVA to answer the question of “why?” The AAMVA has yet to answer why it cares so much about Kei vehicles and we intend on finding it out. Until then, hold your cars tight and it might be worth befriending a politician or a few.
“Natasha explained to me that the state is targeting vehicles that do not meet FMVSS,”
Well if that’s accurate, then that also means they should be targeting any vehicle made before 1971… since none of those meet FMVSS either.
Idiots.
On other articles about this sort of thing, I’ve said specifically that I want to see them go after all the muscle cars. Kei truck owners could sit back and relax if that happened, knowing there’s a huge enough contingent of muscle car owners who would be…annoyed enough to do something about it.
So y’all have never heard of the concept of grandfathering…
Oh I’ve heard of it… but apparently the MA DMV hasn’t.
But the Mass DMV has, which is why the Model T and muscle car arguments are as amateurish as they sound.
If they know about grandfathering, then why are they talking about revoking previously-issued registrations?
Because that is not what grandfathering means in this case.
Grandfathering means you DON’T do things like revoking previously issued registrations.
Or, it means that they know they can’t get rid of vehicles that have been here for decades, but know that natural attrition means that fewer and fewer of these vehicles are actually driven every year, and they don’t want to suddenly want to start having more non-FMVSS compliant vehicles on the road.
There is a big difference between importing individual high-value JDM (or any non-Federalized) vehicles and two lots in my town being full of these little Kei trucks.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, and it seems like the Texas group seems to have figured out, the restrictions put on essentially identical vehicles back in the day that precluded their registration means that these things are being treated differently than other 25+ year-old non-Federalized vehicles.
I’m 100% behind the concept of “follow the money”, but I’m tracing the money back to the insurance industry. If some drunk in an F-250 hits you head-on in your Acty, not only is the insurance company on the hook for buying you a new truck, they’re also gonna be paying for some new *legs*. And they don’t wanna.
What does one have to say about the vehicles that were built for the US market prior to 1999? There are many vehicles from the 1970s and 1980s still on the road without airbags, side protection system, etc. that US required in 1999 and later…
And if that F250 hits a motorcycle? Or a rusted out, POS hooptie?
Besides that’s what coverage limits are for.
I’m 100% behind the concept of “follow the money”, but I’m tracing the money back to the insurance industry. If some drunk in an F-250 hits you head-on in your Acty, not only is the insurance company on the hook for buying you a new truck, they’re also gonna be paying for some new *legs*. And they don’t wanna.
What does one have to say about the vehicles that were built for the US market prior to 1999? There are many vehicles from the 1970s and 1980s still on the road without airbags, side protection system, etc. that US required in 1999 and later…
Follow the money .
It’s always the answer,it’s just hard sometimes to figure out who is profiting.
Is it insurance companies?
is it the ATV industry?
Is it the golf cart industry?
Also the ATV industry has obviously spent some serious money lobbying politicians to allow their vehicles to drive on roads here in Wisconsin which don’t meet the same crash or pollution standards that an automobile or truck do .
My guess is also that the Kei vehicles are more crash resistant than the golf carts ATV’s that are all over the roads in some states now.
Someone somewhere is profiting from this or they wouldn’t be after them so hard.
My question is …who is going to be detective enough to figure who is getting rich ?
This makes sense if the alternative to me not getting a Kei vehicle is one of those alternatives. But if I want an AZ-1, and my state tells me I can’t register it, I don’t see how the next leap is buy an ATV or golf cart.
I’m not saying that the only alternative is a ATV,golf cart or anything like it but something is driving this and they were just suggestions.
It very well maybe the insurance companies but logically if it was them why haven’t they gone after the ATV/ golf cart .
I certainly don’t have the answer but if someone somehow can follow the money there’s your answer.
I don’t know that you can register a golf cart or ATV for highway use in any state. Where they’re allowed, golf carts have a different designation and are limited as to where they can operate. I know I’ve been some places where I’ve seen sxs’s out on the roads. I just assumed that was people just ignoring the rules. I’m sure they’re both insured differently than passenger vehicles.
I would think the financial interests that could be hurt by imports are auto manufacturers and dealers. Both have pretty strong industry organizations and they are of course in bed with their regulators and pseudo-regulators.
It’s a pretty easy play for them to make. They don’t even need to get new legislation passed in most places. They just push for enforcement of existing rules.
SxS vehicles gained street use title/registration ability in many States in past few years.
The fucking SxS / UTV mfgrs and dealers are behind this.
I think the SxS and farm vehicle industry is the most likely. If you can drive the truck on the road, it’s a much superior alternative to a John Deere Gator. If you can’t it becomes much more even.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something like this. As to me it seems anytime I drive through the rural areas I drive though on a daily basis every few properties you see has a small Kei truck of some sort. Was both this way when I was in VA last year and for the 5 of so years I have been in Indiana now. Why spend 20k+ on a stupid john deere or something like that when you can get a Kei truck that is 4×4 with a dump bed for 5-7k. If these politicians were so concerned about safety why would they still allow a model t on the road or any car from like pre air bag era? Damn I better not give them any ideas.
“If these politicians were so concerned about safety why would they still allow a model t on the road or any car from like pre air bag era?”
Or any vehicle that was made before 1971… which was before NHTSA or FMVSS came into existence.
Yeah I was to lazy to look up when the NHTSA and FMVSS came around but I am assuming that is where they will try and start get all of those vehicles off the road that never has to meet those standards then keep working towards more modern standards. I am sure car companies would love to get that average car age in the US to something like 5 years old not the current what 12?
Research is obviously tough.
FMVSS started March 1, 1967, with Std 209… dealing with… drum roll Pease… Seatbelts.
Whether it’s pre-1971 or pre-1967, the claim that they are worried about vehicles that don’t meet FMVSS being on the road is still bullshit.
If they are only focusing on relatively new vehicles imported from Japan while ignoring the pre-1971/pre-1967 vehicles that don’t meet FMVSS (and doing something like limiting them to just ‘show and display’ use), then it’s NOT about “safety” or “not meeting FMVSS”.
In reality, there is some group with money to lobby politicians that stands to profit directly or indirectly from the Kei vehicle ban.
The “safety”/FMVSS talk is just a cynical BS excuse to hide what’s really going on.
The money seems to be from the AAMVA lobbying group, along with their “best practices” suggesting removing all non-conforming vehicles from the road. This, theoretically, could be Step One, a small group of owners with ostensibly little power, and then moving on to bigger things.
“the AAMVA lobbying group” ? this money has to come from somewhere. it is not being printed by the AAMVA. So there is some source of $$$ that is funding the AAMVA and the various lobbying firms that are also funded.
All signs point to SxS manufacturers and their dealership groups.
Follow the money .
It’s always the answer,it’s just hard sometimes to figure out who is profiting.
Is it insurance companies?
is it the ATV industry?
Is it the golf cart industry?
Also the ATV industry has obviously spent some serious money lobbying politicians to allow their vehicles to drive on roads here in Wisconsin which don’t meet the same crash or pollution standards that an automobile or truck do .
My guess is also that the Kei vehicles are more crash resistant than the golf carts ATV’s that are all over the roads in some states now.
Someone somewhere is profiting from this or they wouldn’t be after them so hard.
My question is …who is going to be detective enough to figure who is getting rich ?
This makes sense if the alternative to me not getting a Kei vehicle is one of those alternatives. But if I want an AZ-1, and my state tells me I can’t register it, I don’t see how the next leap is buy an ATV or golf cart.
I’m not saying that the only alternative is a ATV,golf cart or anything like it but something is driving this and they were just suggestions.
It very well maybe the insurance companies but logically if it was them why haven’t they gone after the ATV/ golf cart .
I certainly don’t have the answer but if someone somehow can follow the money there’s your answer.
I don’t know that you can register a golf cart or ATV for highway use in any state. Where they’re allowed, golf carts have a different designation and are limited as to where they can operate. I know I’ve been some places where I’ve seen sxs’s out on the roads. I just assumed that was people just ignoring the rules. I’m sure they’re both insured differently than passenger vehicles.
I would think the financial interests that could be hurt by imports are auto manufacturers and dealers. Both have pretty strong industry organizations and they are of course in bed with their regulators and pseudo-regulators.
It’s a pretty easy play for them to make. They don’t even need to get new legislation passed in most places. They just push for enforcement of existing rules.
I think the SxS and farm vehicle industry is the most likely. If you can drive the truck on the road, it’s a much superior alternative to a John Deere Gator. If you can’t it becomes much more even.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something like this. As to me it seems anytime I drive through the rural areas I drive though on a daily basis every few properties you see has a small Kei truck of some sort. Was both this way when I was in VA last year and for the 5 of so years I have been in Indiana now. Why spend 20k+ on a stupid john deere or something like that when you can get a Kei truck that is 4×4 with a dump bed for 5-7k. If these politicians were so concerned about safety why would they still allow a model t on the road or any car from like pre air bag era? Damn I better not give them any ideas.
“If these politicians were so concerned about safety why would they still allow a model t on the road or any car from like pre air bag era?”
Or any vehicle that was made before 1971… which was before NHTSA or FMVSS came into existence.
Yeah I was to lazy to look up when the NHTSA and FMVSS came around but I am assuming that is where they will try and start get all of those vehicles off the road that never has to meet those standards then keep working towards more modern standards. I am sure car companies would love to get that average car age in the US to something like 5 years old not the current what 12?
The money seems to be from the AAMVA lobbying group, along with their “best practices” suggesting removing all non-conforming vehicles from the road. This, theoretically, could be Step One, a small group of owners with ostensibly little power, and then moving on to bigger things.
“the AAMVA lobbying group” ? this money has to come from somewhere. it is not being printed by the AAMVA. So there is some source of $$$ that is funding the AAMVA and the various lobbying firms that are also funded.
All signs point to SxS manufacturers and their dealership groups.
What a bureaucratic nightmare, the DMV one of the most incompetent (in my state at least) departments in the state acting like they make laws now.
Maybe they can get the actual elected officials to make a law along the lines of “the DMV may not change any policies that further restrict motor vehicles without legislative approval”
What a bureaucratic nightmare, the DMV one of the most incompetent (in my state at least) departments in the state acting like they make laws now.
Maybe they can get the actual elected officials to make a law along the lines of “the DMV may not change any policies that further restrict motor vehicles without legislative approval”
Wait, I thought these departments in state government were extremely busy improving customer service at the DMV, bettering significant highway safety concerns, etc. Quite clearly, they didn’t have enough to do and couldn’t resist the old urge to regulate.
Wait, I thought these departments in state government were extremely busy improving customer service at the DMV, bettering significant highway safety concerns, etc. Quite clearly, they didn’t have enough to do and couldn’t resist the old urge to regulate.
This is getting quite ridiculous. I suppose the problem would be how to enact this, but wouldn’t a common sense solution be that, due to their size disparity with typical vehicles in North America, Kei vehicles should only be operating on roads with a speed limit of 45 mph or less? Granted, there really should be no restrictions, but if they are supposedly doing this all in the name of safety, surely there is a compromise to be had?
That argument falls flat when I can drive a Model T on a highway, or my >125cc motorcycle.
Oh the argument that they don’t meet FMVSS absolutely falls flat because there are already so many cars on the road grandfathered in that were built before FMVSS. And they are a small amount, just like the number of Kei cars is.
This is getting quite ridiculous. I suppose the problem would be how to enact this, but wouldn’t a common sense solution be that, due to their size disparity with typical vehicles in North America, Kei vehicles should only be operating on roads with a speed limit of 45 mph or less? Granted, there really should be no restrictions, but if they are supposedly doing this all in the name of safety, surely there is a compromise to be had?
That argument falls flat when I can drive a Model T on a highway, or my >125cc motorcycle.
Oh the argument that they don’t meet FMVSS absolutely falls flat because there are already so many cars on the road grandfathered in that were built before FMVSS. And they are a small amount, just like the number of Kei cars is.
Good grief. So damn aggravating, to say the least. Hopefully it’ll all be sorted out sooner rather than later for the better in each and every state. May cooler (wiser!) heads prevail…
On a lighter note, the lead image with “Buncha Massholes!” brings to mind what some self-styled wits said in disparagement of Endicott Peabody, the governor of Massachusetts from 1963 to 1965, that he was the only governor in the state’s history to be named after three cities in Massachusetts: Peabody, Marblehead, and Athol.
(People who have used old metrological instruments may recognize the third city as being the headquarters of the L.S. Starrett Company.)
And his first name was the family name of the first Mass Bay Colony governor – John Endicott. John was a bit of a religious loon though.
Good grief. So damn aggravating, to say the least. Hopefully it’ll all be sorted out sooner rather than later for the better in each and every state. May cooler (wiser!) heads prevail…
On a lighter note, the lead image with “Buncha Massholes!” brings to mind what some self-styled wits said in disparagement of Endicott Peabody, the governor of Massachusetts from 1963 to 1965, that he was the only governor in the state’s history to be named after three cities in Massachusetts: Peabody, Marblehead, and Athol.
(People who have used old metrological instruments may recognize the third city as being the headquarters of the L.S. Starrett Company.)
And his first name was the family name of the first Mass Bay Colony governor – John Endicott. John was a bit of a religious loon though.
Listen my children and you shall hear,
Of the midnight banning of Kei cars here.
It doesn’t matter if they’re over twenty-five.
Gotta short VIN? You may not drive.
Who remembers that liberty birthed so near?
Listen my children and you shall hear,
Of the midnight banning of Kei cars here.
It doesn’t matter if they’re over twenty-five.
Gotta short VIN? You may not drive.
Who remembers that liberty birthed so near?
Register in Montana or South Dakota. I read somewhere that South Dakota made 7 million dollars in 2018 from out of state vehicle registrations.
Register in Montana or South Dakota. I read somewhere that South Dakota made 7 million dollars in 2018 from out of state vehicle registrations.
I haven’t chimed in on any of these stories, but they really grind my gears. There’s not much I hate more than doing the research to try to make sure you’re doing something correctly, following the rules, and then finding the rulemakers moving the goalposts and you’re back to square one.
I do find it kind of ironic that California is totally fine registering all of these vehicles in the state as long as it passes emissions testing. Sadly that means a $5K+ BAR lab process, but if you’ve got deep pockets to go through that process, you can totally get CA plates on your JDM kei car. I saw an Autozam AZ-1 with CA plates a few weeks ago.
Funnily enough I just saw a dealer in Oklahoma selling a 2024 Suzuki Jimny. It has a valid OK title, so this is a case where the federal law was broken but the state didn’t care, which is very much the opposite of what the northeast states are doing. Anyone buying that Jimny is risking confiscation by the feds.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/another-dealer-is-selling-a-suzuki-jimny-with-a-legal-oklahoma-title
I haven’t chimed in on any of these stories, but they really grind my gears. There’s not much I hate more than doing the research to try to make sure you’re doing something correctly, following the rules, and then finding the rulemakers moving the goalposts and you’re back to square one.
I do find it kind of ironic that California is totally fine registering all of these vehicles in the state as long as it passes emissions testing. Sadly that means a $5K+ BAR lab process, but if you’ve got deep pockets to go through that process, you can totally get CA plates on your JDM kei car. I saw an Autozam AZ-1 with CA plates a few weeks ago.
Funnily enough I just saw a dealer in Oklahoma selling a 2024 Suzuki Jimny. It has a valid OK title, so this is a case where the federal law was broken but the state didn’t care, which is very much the opposite of what the northeast states are doing. Anyone buying that Jimny is risking confiscation by the feds.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/another-dealer-is-selling-a-suzuki-jimny-with-a-legal-oklahoma-title
Looks like it’s easier to protect the Kei cars in Red States than Blue, so far.
right, cause the blue states are run by the guberment. there is more $ in blue states, so the people who are funding this are going after them. the the reds… ironic, red used to mean commie, now it means facist
Yes and no. IME living in New England for over a decade, the state (and local) governments there are a perfect example of what I call a “government thicket”. They’ve been around for so long that there is a lot of tangled bureaucracy which I feel many people don’t actually know what their job is but it’s a government job and stable and you might only be responsible for this set of forms day to day. Corruption and back room deals, while less present than the stereotypical movie tropes, just kind of occurs as a low level background noise.But when someone comes knocking and asking questions, you might not even know who is in charge or how to find them. Stonewalling and toeing the line become the default reaction. Dealing with NE state government was always a hair pulling chore.
My private-sector assessment is that maybe “Red” state governments are easier to influence or more reactionary in nature, but they tend to be more accessible (more, not Very nor pinnacles of democracy) to citizen input.
Looks like it’s easier to protect the Kei cars in Red States than Blue, so far.
right, cause the blue states are run by the guberment. there is more $ in blue states, so the people who are funding this are going after them. the the reds… ironic, red used to mean commie, now it means facist
Yes and no. IME living in New England for over a decade, the state (and local) governments there are a perfect example of what I call a “government thicket”. They’ve been around for so long that there is a lot of tangled bureaucracy which I feel many people don’t actually know what their job is but it’s a government job and stable and you might only be responsible for this set of forms day to day. Corruption and back room deals, while less present than the stereotypical movie tropes, just kind of occurs as a low level background noise.But when someone comes knocking and asking questions, you might not even know who is in charge or how to find them. Stonewalling and toeing the line become the default reaction. Dealing with NE state government was always a hair pulling chore.
My private-sector assessment is that maybe “Red” state governments are easier to influence or more reactionary in nature, but they tend to be more accessible (more, not Very nor pinnacles of democracy) to citizen input.
It’s all going to come down to the fact that a few crusty old bureaucrats at AAMVA who never got elected to any office except their HOA were suckered in by a clickbait Facebook post from FreedomEagleNews.biz about how “ILLEGAL, UNSAFE TRUCKS FROM ASIA ARE INVADING AMERICA’S ROADS AND IT’S THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING NOTHING TO STOP THEM!!!”
This is so accurate. If you can allow motorcycles on public roads, there should be no question about letting kei vehicles on the road
It’s all going to come down to the fact that a few crusty old bureaucrats at AAMVA who never got elected to any office except their HOA were suckered in by a clickbait Facebook post from FreedomEagleNews.biz about how “ILLEGAL, UNSAFE TRUCKS FROM ASIA ARE INVADING AMERICA’S ROADS AND IT’S THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING NOTHING TO STOP THEM!!!”
This is so accurate. If you can allow motorcycles on public roads, there should be no question about letting kei vehicles on the road
Oh no the unaccountable administrative state (the actual “deep state” that Deep State conspiracy nutters barely even acknowledge) strikes again! Can’t have Congress and state legislatures actually be busy with making informed legislation, gotta hand it off to appointed and hired officials to make laws and enforce them instead. I mean, why distract them from the fundraising and insider trading?
Except it’s not the “Deep State” that’s responsible, it’s a lobbying group working on the legislators and administrators, attempting to get their policies inserted into DMV regulations with or without new laws being written.
If you want to assign blame, please be accurate.
bruh that’s what i said 🙁
Sounds like you just had a knee jerk reaction to a trigger word, probably past trauma from other websites. Lay off the keyboard warrior Ackshually shutter shades a bit.
You’re really quick to take offense, aren’t you?
Love those internet tropes “knee jerk”, “trigger word”, “past trauma”, “keyboard warrior”, “ackshually” and “shutter shades”. Care to ram a few more in there? Maybe you can give me a “sick burn”.
FYI: You don’t need to defend every word you post online like a palace guard on duty. Step outside now and then, friend. Maybe have an adult beverage and relax a bit.
I was wrong. I didn’t recall that the AAMVA is made up of government administrator and officials; and therefore it actually is, more or less, a “deep state” operation by an organized group of somewhat unaccountable decision makers.
So when you say “bruh that’s what i said” you’re agreeing with my wrong assessment… it’s a very odd circle we just drew together.
Takes one to know one :3
Oh no the unaccountable administrative state (the actual “deep state” that Deep State conspiracy nutters barely even acknowledge) strikes again! Can’t have Congress and state legislatures actually be busy with making informed legislation, gotta hand it off to appointed and hired officials to make laws and enforce them instead. I mean, why distract them from the fundraising and insider trading?
Except it’s not the “Deep State” that’s responsible, it’s a lobbying group working on the legislators and administrators, attempting to get their policies inserted into DMV regulations with or without new laws being written.
If you want to assign blame, please be accurate.
bruh that’s what i said 🙁
Sounds like you just had a knee jerk reaction to a trigger word, probably past trauma from other websites. Lay off the keyboard warrior Ackshually shutter shades a bit.
You’re really quick to take offense, aren’t you?
Love those internet tropes “knee jerk”, “trigger word”, “past trauma”, “keyboard warrior”, “ackshually” and “shutter shades”. Care to ram a few more in there? Maybe you can give me a “sick burn”.
FYI: You don’t need to defend every word you post online like a palace guard on duty. Step outside now and then, friend. Maybe have an adult beverage and relax a bit.
I was wrong. I didn’t recall that the AAMVA is made up of government administrator and officials; and therefore it actually is, more or less, a “deep state” operation by an organized group of somewhat unaccountable decision makers.
So when you say “bruh that’s what i said” you’re agreeing with my wrong assessment… it’s a very odd circle we just drew together.
Takes one to know one :3