# The official Virginia homepage... is a PAY SITE?? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710 "2002-10-24T16:08:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710/1 "2002-10-24T16:08:38Z")
[http://www.state.va.us/](http://www.state.va.us/) forwards to [http://www.vipnet.org/cmsportal/](http://www.vipnet.org/cmsportal/) which is the " Official Commonwealth of Virginia Home Page" …it has various things, and then “Premium Services - Enhanced access services available to subscribers.” …“Users must be Premium Services Subscribers to take advantage of VIPNet’s Premium Services. Simply complete and submit the VIPNet Premium Service Subscription Agreement(You will need Adobe’s Acrobat Readerin order to download the agreement)and any required addendum(s) with the **$75.00 annual subscription fee**. Approved users will be given a user id and password to access the requested applications.” Geeeez! My tax dollars at work? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710/2 "2002-10-24T16:50:48Z")
Although, most of the information on the pay site is information that shouldn’t be available to the general public anyway, like DMV records and the salaries of government employees. And, Virginia’s not the only government entity to charge fees for information that would only be of interest to a limited number of people. The US courts, for example, use the PACER system, which is fee based, to provide access to pleadings and decisions. ---
**Author:** ![tramp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tramp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tramp)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710/3 "2002-10-24T16:54:26Z")
Hey, we’re poor here in Virginia! We need all the $$$$$$$$$ we can get since our last governor spent us into a huge hole! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710/4 "2002-10-24T16:58:56Z")
The [Premium Services](http://www.vipnet.org/cmsportal/services_869/services_1098/services_1092/index.html) offered seem to be pretty boing stuff. If they want a quick buck so people can track a bill’s progress through the commonwealth’s legislature then so be it. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710/5 "2002-10-24T17:57:33Z")
_grumble_ Still strikes me as tacky or something. Somehow wrong, in some way. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710/6 "2002-10-24T18:02:20Z")
Well of course. I come across pay-for-Vagina sites all the - oooooh _Virginia_. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-virginia-homepage-is-a-pay-site/133710/7 "2002-10-24T18:05:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Although, most of the information on the pay site is information that shouldn’t be available to the general public anyway, like DMV records and the salaries of government employees. Actually, salaries of government employees **IS** in the public domain. So are arrest records and many court documents. Drivers’ licenses, depending on the state, are also open.