Wednesday, October 7, 2015

That License Story

Some group came out today in Germany....advocating that the German government needs to cover the cost of getting a driver's license.....if you are a visa-approved refugee/asylum seeker.  Naturally, it drew a fair amount of comments (negative).

The necessity of having a license in Germany is a big deal....because in the case of employment....most folks have to have a license and must have a car.....to get to their place of employment.  Maybe if you live within the boundaries of an urban area.....like Frankfurt or Wiesbaden for example....you can go car-less like myself.  But if you live another ten miles out?  You are pretty screwed on getting into the urbanized area and your job.

With potentially 1.5 million refugees.....what might the cost be?  Well, in general.....to get through the class and the driving hours.....then take the private instructor test.....you are talking 1,500 Euro as a minimum ($1,700).  I'd take a guess that thirty percent of the people taking the driver's exam will have problems and easily blow past 2,100 Euro ($2,400).

A significant amount of money that would be put on the back of the state?  Well....yeah.  Considering the fact that German kids never got a break, and German parents got stuck paying the 1,500 Euro often out of their pocket or forced the kid to cough up a portion from their marginal salary during the apprentice years (figure 600 Euro a month as an apprentice worker).....it's a harsh reality on kids to realize it's not cheap.

The private instructor atmosphere?  I'm guessing they are grinning from ear to ear.....looking at potentially another seventy-five students for 2016/2017 on top of what they typically expected.  Figure 2,000 Euro possibly for each extra student, and you could pay down a pretty decent vacation and a new car, as a driving instructor.

I would offer this personal observation.  Even if they pay the 1,500 Euro out of the government pocket for the refugees to get German license.....who will pay for the car?  Figure 1.5 million folks and at least fifty percent will have to have some cheap form of vehicle transportation by the summer of 2016.  How will that be paid or covered?

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