Mayor Brown has joined forces with others not interested in purchasing unnecessary new license plates next year at $25 a set — or $10 more than the current cost.

The governor’s office says the policy could generate $129 million for our cash-strapped state. Morgan Hook from the governor’s office responded to St. Lewis County Clerk Patty Ritchie’s Web site petition against requiring new plates saying, if those opposed want to eliminate $129 million in revenue, they need to suggest a way to replace it. "Is she calling for a $129 million tax hike? Is she calling for $129 million more in cuts to school aid? Because that’s really what this petition drive is all about. This is the type of irresponsibility that led to the crisis we face."

No, governor, your spokesman demonstrates the type of irresponsibility that led to the crisis in the first place.

Back to basics, governor. Requiring New Yorkers to spend money to unnecessarily replace license plates is irresponsible and a tax hike.

Back to more basics, governor. Your spokesman said Ms. Ritchie was calling to cut school aid. It is irresponsible and inflammatory to suggest that she did.

Back to the most basic, governor. You must surely see that the first place to begin saving $129 million in unnecessary state spending would be to save the salary of irresponsible and inflammatory spokesmen like Morgan Hook. Then consideration could be given to holding costs down on the many and varied programs that put New York State out of line with spending in states of similar size and location.

Not to belabor the point, but please drop the idea of unnecessary new license plates.