At Least Two County Clerks in New York State Oppose Licence Plate Fee Hike... Online Petition Link... Related You Tube Videos and Commentary

["Patty Ritchie fights Albany's New License Plate mandate"; as submitted to You Tube by RPFlower13601
on October 24, 2009; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUEEYBb_8rk]

A County Clerk, Patricia Ritchie [who has since been joined, according to the video above, by a Clerk from another county] has an online petition circulating to oppose "Governor Paterson's plan" to mandate license plate renewals accross the board (As of April 2010) - in New York State.

With many, if not most families, already suffering from the recession, increased mandates (certain license fees; such as fishing, hunting, etc...) and/or tax hikes (property, school, cigarettes...) - this new requirement would mean that everyone - as of April 2010 - would have to renew license plates for every vehicle [estimated to be over 10 Million, collectively; including all ATVs, cars, trucks and trailers] they own and/or register - at $25.00 [a ten dollar hike for new plates even minus the proposed (and almost set in stone...) mandate] each.

Over 5,000-6,000 people plus have reputedly signed Clerk Ritchies online petition, and if you [this would particularly effect those of us - living upstate and/or in rural communities that don't rely on the public transit system] would like to join them [sign onto the petition, as I have] - a direct link to www.nonewplates.com is provided in the sidebar >>>

For more information on this topic, see:

ward9kingston@yahoogroups.com on behalf of William Berardi

"License Plates in New York"; Brian Cubbison; The "Post-Standard"; 10/22/09

www.nonewplates.com [Petition]

You can also call your representatives in Albany regarding this issue - which is strongly suggested - because apparently New Yorkers need to be heard on this issue as soon as possible [See Alderman Mike Madsen's blog, "Kingston Progressive" (there is a blog link in the sidebar >>>)] for more information on this topic.

["The Beatles - Taxman"; as submitted by Beatles4ever70 on June 22, 2006; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El9RZvbXIj4]

Bottom line (My Opinion...) --- we are still living in the aftermath of the above [I do not agree with the generalized partisan (targeting all Republicans) commentary...] --- and we (collectively) need to get a grip!

For example, if the people in New York State can't afford their taxes, lose their homes, can't afford to keep vehicles on the road, can't afford to engage in the wonderful privileges that New York State has to offer (tourism, fishing, hunting, etc...) and keep having their constitutional rights [I still believe former President Bush Jrs funding of Faith-based organizations was a violation of the "Separation and Church and State" - and I'm not happy with the fact that President Obama has kept it (modified somewhat) in place...] stomped on --- what good will all the revenue - raised by all of these rate increases, tax increases and/or new "control mechanisms" [Is all of this in the best interest of the majority of the population?] do?????

No one will choose - if this goes on and on in this manner - to LIVE (or DO BUSINESS!) HERE...

Which is already, for far too many people [Is New York State going to become purely a "Welfare State?" A "Bankrupt State?" A ghost of what could have and should have been?] - the case!

Peace, Love, Equality and Humane Justice,

NS