Tell me the people in Albanyland have lost their minds! As part of the new budget for 2010, both houses and the Governor have included a mandatory trade-in of all vehicle licence plates starting in April. At a cost!For $25 dollars, you will have the privilege of heading to DMV and handing in your old ones for the new ones. There's no indication as to the design they have in mind. Their excuse? The reflective coating has worn off by now.
In reality; this is just another way of opening our wallets to offset the fiscal travesty the State is facing. But on the drivers in New York State? Thats almost as absurd at the commuter tax they levied on the residents along the Metro North railway. Yeah, people who never ride the rail pay for the thing!
Anyway, I digress. In addition to the fee, there's another cost if you want to keep your old number or specialty plate after the exchange. Nice huh?
The New York State Association of County Clerks has also voiced its opposition to the plan, and the group's president, St. Lawrence County Clerk Patty Ritchie, began circulating an online petition this week to shore up opposition.
She said the association's effort was attracting attention from across New York, drawing more than 17,000 signatures as of early Friday afternoon.
The state expects to raise over $250 million over the next two years by rolling out the new plates. Do you see this as anything other than a new way for the state to take our money? How bout making the state more business friendly and get that damn commuter rail on this side of the river.
State lawmakers have already approved the license plate replacement program and would need to vote again to revoke the measure. Should we start calling them now?
Sign the petition at www.nonewplates.
4 comments:
I am wondering what the impact will be on the landfills with all of these old license plates being dumped. Are they going to be recycled? Reflective ability, my butt!! Reflect what? The last time I shown my headlights into a car ahead of me in traffic I saw very clearly the owners plates and I recognized it as being one of the older plates based on the license #. No trouble reflecting back the image. They have to come up with a better lie than that. As to the MTA tax..., DON'T get me started on that. Where can we sign these petitions?
The Governor's spokesperson says if voted down it could turn into 120+ million in taxes on people. I'm sorry but this seems like a hidden tax to me. Just a nice way to hide it and give Governor Paterson some play money.
What a stupid short sighted way to increase revenue. Great, you will make $129 million 1 time and then what will you do next year, make everyone get a new driver's license? Then what, a road use fee payable once a year? ALBANY=RINGLING BROTHERS
There is a video up - on this topic - over on my blog at http://www.flingingtowardsthesun.blogspot.com - as well as a direct link to the petition and some additional commentary...
I noted your blog and some other sources of information there [Oh yeah, there are some photos from the latest uptown KURA meeting (with some pertinent charts...) there too!] - as well.
NS
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