NC to become a "two plate state"?

There is a bill before the NC Legislature to start requiring two license plates on all automobiles beginning January 1. I see several problems with this. First, the cost of registration will go up because of the double cost of equipping all vehicles with two plates. Second, vehicles sold in NC do not necessarily have a front mounting frame, since we are a one plate state.

Basically, this amounts to a tax increase, plain and simple. It is not about visibility. It is about making red light cameras and speed cameras more effective, and get more money for the DMV from fees. In short, it is to squeeze more cash out of motorists for government coffers. It is about more control over the citizens.

I grew up in a state that required two license plates, so the mere fact of having two does not bother me. What does bother me is that NC decided long ago, along with many other states, that we don't need but one plate. Now some busybody is trying to make it a misdemeanor if you don't turn in your license plate when asked to do so and require us all to affix two plates to our vehicles.

This will cripple the front license plate industry in this state, which the state itself is guilty of participating in. Plates for different towns that advertise the community will not be legal. Plates that have religious sayings or any other personalization will be illegal. People can not advertise the OBX any more if we have two plates. Many vehicles don't even have a front plate frame and vehicle owners would have to pay for them to be installed in order to comply with such a law.

Basically, any individual personality and freedom will be infringed and cost will be incurred by vehicle owners. We will be further taxed, and more people will get traffic tickets to fund local governments. Our insurance rates will also rise from the increased traffic enforcement by automated means, which will be enhanced by two plates.

Leave it alone. It ain't broke, so don't fix it. It is bad enough we have to pay for a registration and property tax. Don't raise my registration fees. I want to go back to a vanity plate. I still have my old one and would like to use it again. It is just so much more money to do so, I don't find it worth the expense for one plate, much less two of them.