I would like to bring attention to what I think is an outrageous fee the city of Portland is charging.

I paid my vehicle registration last week in City Hall. The nice lady at the window asked me if I was paying with a check. I do not have a checkbook. I have checking and savings accounts and pay everything with a debit card. She told me there would be a fee charged for this. I thought it would be the typical $1.50 or $2.50. And when she told me $13.99, I did not think much of it – I was happy to get the expensive registration paid.

My afterthought is that there is no justifiable reason for this.

A check must be handled and it takes time to clear. A debit is verifiable in an instant. Where do such charges stop? Why not $50? That is where it is headed: Charge them as much as you can and hope they do not complain. We should not tolerate this.

Robert King
Portland