Look who is taking the blame for the passport mess

[CrystalBlue]

Hey did you read this. I thought this might be of interest to someone.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/she-takes-the-blame-for-passport-mess/20070722100409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

[jlp20]

You mean the politician or all the people who procrastinated for two years rather than make their application?

[Keith1010]

While folks procrasinated, clearly the government underestimated the demand and was very poorly staffed.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Read about this.

[agabbymama]

My first trip out of the U.S. was to England, so of course I got a passport, and have kept it active ever since. My passport always goes with me even to Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. It's always been the best form of ID in my opinion. I paid for, you can bet I'm going to use it.

 

I have an Alaska via Canada cruise planned in August '07. I knew the requirement was to have a passport, so I had my husband apply for his passport in February and mine expires in August, so I sent in for mine at the same time, even though it hadn't expired yet. We received our passports exactly 9 weeks from the date we sent them in.

 

So yes, while the Government wasn't prepared for the onslaught of applications, folks have to take the responsibility that they didn't apply when they knew the passports were going to be needed.

[cathi]

And you have no idea the chaos caused in Canada by all of this!!!

[njmomof2]

Both my husband and I had passports. Unfortunately, they were lost between one of our moves (we moved 3 times in 4 years). We didn't have any trips planned so there wasn't a pressing need to get new ones (plus I kept hoping I would find the box in which they were packed).

 

FF to late 2006. Decide that they are not going to be found, need new ones. Now have 2 children. Apply for each of the boys in October 06. Get them 4 weeks later. I go in and put my application in for a replacement on December 15, 2006. Have mine 8 weeks later. DH finally gets enough time out of his day to go in on March 13, 2007. His arrives...17 weeks later. Our friends applied for their family on March 20. Three of the four arrived just a week before their trip (they left last Monday, July 16th). The fourth has not yet arrived. They were lucky enough that it was a minor child and between the parents having them, the receipt showing the date applied for and a sealed birth certificate, he was able to travel.

 

I understand that many people didn't leave enough time between application and trip. However, all along, my husband's update was that he would receive it in 8-12 weeks, even after we passed the 16 week mark. I believe this is unacceptable. We're just lucky that we didn't have an unexpected opportunity to travel, otherwise, I'd be saying adios and taking the kids!

[cruise_lover]

"Last Nov. 22, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that as of Jan. 23, Americans visiting Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda by air would need passports. The requirement will not take effect for land and sea travelers until sometime between the summer of 2008 and June 2009."

 

I wonder how many people traveling by cruise ship this year applied for passports even though they won't need one until the summer of 2008? Therefore creating the backlog. :rolleyes:

[JolieMadam]

My daughter and I were scheduled for a flight and vacation to Mexico this month. Four days before the day we were leaving, she announced she discovered her passport had been expired since March. This was a Thursday and we were flying out on Monday. We scrambled around and found the only third party agent in our city who said he could get her a passport by Saturday, but she had to come to his office right away. So for a nice healthy fee plus the cost of the renewal, she had her passport on Saturday! If she had waited one more day to instigate the renewal, we would not have been able to go as planned because the weekend would have caused a delay of about 5 more days. Talk about wanting to strangle someone, especially since I had reminded her twice to copy the face page.

 

I do believe that part of the tieup with the passport agency is that people have panicked and felt the need to have a passport even if they weren't going anywhere in the near future.

[sail7seas]

And you have no idea the chaos caused in Canada by all of this!!!

 

I'm interested to hear comments how Canada has handled the situation. Hopefully, it isn't as bad in Canada has some have experienced in the U.S.

[maldemar]

I wonder how many people traveling by cruise ship this year applied for passports even though they won't need one until the summer of 2008? Therefore creating the backlog. :rolleyes:

 

 

With the multiple changes in who needs one when, can't really blame people for covering their butts by getting one as soon as they can. The backlog is blamed in the people on charge, not those applying. Its not like this hasn't been coming down the pike for several years now.

 

If the deadline is now summer of 08 it is because of the backlog that was already in existance.

[KC_fn]

I guess you could always blame people who didn't allow enough time, but what's "enough"? When the standard waiting time for a passport has always been ~6 weeks, it's not to be expected that most people would know that it's suddenly 12 weeks (which is what we were told when we applied).

 

Besides, if our goverment didn't have the foresight to anticipate the huge extra demand, I don't know why we ordinary folk should have.

[Chigirlcruzin]

For people that were planning weddings and other trips far in advance, they should have applied sooner. However, many people across these boards (not just this thread) seem to feel that people should have applied for a passport as soon as they knew they were going to be needed at some date in the future. What if you didn't think you'd ever leave the country? Why spend the money sit on a passport that you may not use? Doesn't make sense to me.

[Keith1010]

The whole thing was adminstered very poorly. Yes, people should have applied sooner but if you roll out a major program like this you need to staff up for the high demand. And, those in charge did not think about that. So, in the end, I blame those who administer this program.

 

Keith

[qorc]

While folks procrasinated, clearly the government underestimated the demand and was very poorly staffed.

 

Keith

 

Don't blame a Party, per se. Congress (both parties) pass laws CONSTANTLY without providing the funding to go with them. This is no different than most situations in DC. Happens all the time.

 

State isn't "poorly staffed" just "understaffed". The people there are doing what they can.

[Keith1010]

Don't blame a Party, per se. Congress (both parties) pass laws CONSTANTLY without providing the funding to go with them. This is no different than most situations in DC. Happens all the time.

 

State isn't "poorly staffed" just "understaffed". The people there are doing what they can.

 

I'm not blamng a party. I'm blaming those who are in charge of this area. The assistant Secretary of State already has said that she takes the blame and responsbility for what has happened so I don't think we need to start blaming everyone. Someone has got to be accountable.

 

Keith

[ldog]

Our Canadian passports were due to expire in October so we did the renewal applications in March after our last trip. It took twice as long to get them back - 40 business days instead of 20. We got them at the end of May.

 

There were horror stories in January and February when there was a big backlog but it seems to have quieted down now and things are running slowly but smoothly.

[sail7seas]

For many in the U.S., forty days sounds fabulous. It was always recommended that we plan on 6 weeks......42 days. By our 'usual standard', Canadians were getting their renewals right on time. :)

[Ellanora]

Have they even said for sure when the new date for required passports for cruising will be? It was January 2008, and now all I can find is "possibly sometime in early 2008".

[cruise_lover]

I do agree with most of you about the backlog. My sister and I applied for our passports in 2005 when we first started hearing that passports would be needed by 2008.

 

The place I work for employes over 3,000 people and I personally know a dozen or more people here at work that decided that it would be "cool" to have a passport. They all went out and applied for passports knowing full well that they had "no plans what-so-ever to take a trip out of the United States" (their words not mine). And if they thought that way so did a lot of other people. Monkey see monkey do?

 

This is my opinion so please don't take it personally. We all know that some of our posts here get a little heated at times I just feel that the people who really needed passports are the ones being penalized because of the people like my co-workers. And lets face it, some government offices are truely either understaffed or have inexperienced people working in them. Hopefully all of you WILL get your passports in time and will have a wonderful trip, where ever that might be.

[qorc]

I'm not blamng a party. I'm blaming those who are in charge of this area. The assistant Secretary of State already has said that she takes the blame and responsbility for what has happened so I don't think we need to start blaming everyone. Someone has got to be accountable.

 

Keith

 

yes, the appointee is taking the "blame" but it would've been the same no matter who was in charge. But the reality is that this section is primarily run by careerists -- always has, always will be.

 

Congress rarely considers the impact of some bills. This is one of those times. You want accountability? Talk to Congress on this one. You can't pass a bill like that without coughing up a bunch more FTEs and $$. They didn't and still haven't in subsequent budget years.

 

Appointees in DC rarely have much impact on what's really going on. Accountable, yes. But not to blame.

[linda_22003]

I personally know a dozen or more people here at work that decided that it would be "cool" to have a passport. They all went out and applied for passports knowing full well that they had "no plans what-so-ever to take a trip out of the United States" (their words not mine)..... I just feel that the people who really needed passports are the ones being penalized because of the people like my co-workers.

 

I disagree. That's like saying you were "penalized" in not being able to find something you'd been planning to get at the store because other people decided to buy the same item on a whim. The store should have had sufficient stock of the item, and if it didn't, that's not the fault of those who bought on impulse.

 

Those people who got a passport just in case were smart. They'll be ready when the urge strikes, to travel. I've had a valid passport for almost forty years, so I can't imagine not having one and being able to go where I want, when I want.

[KC_fn]

If you've applied for a passport and are travelling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean, you can get by with a photo ID and an official proof of application for passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html

 

They say it may take more than a week for this, so don't wait till the last minute!

[cherylandtk]

If you've applied for a passport and are travelling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean, you can get by with a photo ID and an official proof of application for passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html

 

They say it may take more than a week for this, so don't wait till the last minute!

Please note this exception is for FLYING to the stated areas and expires at the end of September.

 

Cruising to these areas still uses either the BC/DL or passport, at least through 2007 and most likely through 2009 if not longer.

[cherylandtk]

Have they even said for sure when the new date for required passports for cruising will be? It was January 2008, and now all I can find is "possibly sometime in early 2008".

No they have not. Best guess is mid-summer 2008 for the land/sea implementation, which is supposed to coincide with the passcard availability.

 

BUT the current proposed ruling, published June 20, 2007 says that they plan to make an exception for RT cruises from a US port going to Mexico, Canada, Caribbean and Bahamas. BC/DL would still be allowed on those cruises for US Citizens. So there may not ever be a passport requirement for the majority of cruises. At least no more so than is now required.