Archive: Opinions

Governor David Patterson has faced many challenges since he took office a little over a year and a half ago.  Following the resignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer, for his involvement in a sex scandal, Patterson has inherited a state whose economy has been hard hit by the nationwide recession. 

Like every political leader, whether a small town mayor or state governor, Patterson is struggling with ways to bridge the gap in the state budget.  There seems to be some logic to his methods as he and his advisors make the tough decisions over funding across the board.  But there has been some concern about how far he should go in raising revenues to help bridge the budget gap. He has angered many state residents with his proposals for increased taxes and fees on basic goods and services, recreational activities such as hunting, camping, and fishing, and luxury items.

Earlier this week, New York State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee David J. Swarts, unveiled the "Empire Gold" license plate which will be issued to most vehicles registered in the state.  The plan requires motorists to purchase new license plates over a two year period beginning April 1, 2010, as their registration comes due.

New plates will cost each vehicle owner an extra $25 and generate a total of $130 million in revenue for the state. The new plates are in addition to the increase in driver’s license and motor vehicle fees that took effect September 1, 2009.  For those using the “E-Z Pass” and wish to have the same license plate number, there will be an additional $20 charge. 

According to Commissioner Swarts, "The bold colors of the new license plate reflect New York's force and its resilience.  These new plates, in the official colors of the State of New York, will help maintain highway safety, reduce the number of unregistered and uninsured vehicles on our roads, and generate $129 million in General Fund revenue over two years, which will help address the State's financial crisis."

Nothing can be further from the truth.  There is nothing wrong with our current license plates.  What is clear is that Governor Patterson has united thousands, if not millions of tax payers across the political spectrum with his new state mandate requiring every New Yorker to purchase a new license plate in April whether they need one or not. 

The outcry against this proposal has been loud and clear.  County clerks across the state, lead by St. Lawrence County Clerk Patty Ritchie, have initiated a campaign against the license plate replacement plan and have collected thousands of signatures in opposition.  State legislators are also circulating their own petitions against this plan as well. 

Perhaps the entire plan should be renamed, “Fools Gold.”  As you may recall from your American History course in High School, many prospectors who headed out west during the California Gold Rush of the 1840’s mistakenly thought they had discovered large amounts of gold, when in reality, it was just iron pyrite.  This mineral's metallic luster and brass-yellow hue has earned it the nickname fool's gold due to its resemblance to gold.  After days of hard labor these minors would carry their new found riches to the assayer’s office, and discover their efforts were in vain.  The mineral was worthless.

With many individuals and retirees on fixed incomes, and families just getting by on each paycheck, the last thing we need is “Empire Gold.”  Governor Patterson needs to find more creative and less insulting ways to balance the budget than trying to sell us fools gold.  And that is to the point.

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