Using Tech to Access City Services Ought to be in the Cards...

It's almost taken for granted these days that new technology, smartly applied, can be a big part of the answer to almost any problem. So it's long been frustrating, and more than a little baffling, how slow city and state governments have been to adopt it. However, a new program being deployed in Oakland, CA, may be a sign that this is finally starting to change.


Derek Prall writes in American City and County, about an effort to create a combined government ID/debit card. The card would allow residents to "take advantage of direct deposit...and...to avoid check-cashing fees. Funds are available instantly without any hold period." Marginal workers like day-laborers typically have less access to traditional financial services and, since they tend to carry cash, are more likely to be robbed. The hope is, by making it cheaper and easier for residents to cash their checks, the city can curb the use of predatory lending services and cut down on crime.

It's an exciting idea that could easily be adopted in other realms. For instance, I have long thought it would be great if you could attach an Easy-Pass type account to your drivers license or state ID as way to pay for public transit rides. Imagine if you never had to worry about whether you had your bus pass, or correct change. Simplifying the experience would almost certainly lead to a boost in ridership. And this new effort suggests that it wouldn't be too difficult to take it a step further. With the right system, maybe one day we could use a single card to pay for everything from buses to taxis - maybe even ride-share offerings like Uber.

Making it faster and easier for people to interface with public services has been low on many cities' priority lists for far too long. Hopefully this is a sign that a change in that attitude is finally in the cards.

SOURCE: Derek Prall, American City and County, http://americancityandcounty.com/finance/oakland-offers-iddebit-cards...