Vital Records

I had to get a birth certificate today for the Little One, formerly Baby, and since I was there decided to get a copy of my marriage certificate. Total price: $30.00!! One was $23.00 and the other was $7.00.

The birth certificate is actually a digitized copy of the certificate of birth that is then printed onto a nice piece of heavy bond, security paper with the county and state seals on it. Illegal to duplicate by the way. The marriage certificate is a copy of the license printed on normal paper and then notarized by hand with the county seal. By my description, you should be able to figure out which of the two costs more. Now, explain to me why they can't just print the certificates on normal paper and manually notarize them? Or, to make more money, use the fancy paper for everything and charge more?

I think this is just another one of those things that makes me think there is a conspiracy.