N.Y. State Hammers Drivers With Slew Of New Fees

7The new license plates that have begun popping up on the streets of New York are a money raiser for the state, but that's not they only way the state is sticking it to motorists. There are higher fees for just about everything.

It may be no coincidence that the state's new license plates are called "Empire Gold" because the new plates -- with their higher fees -- will turn out to be a gold mine for the state.

"Makes me feel like taking money from my pockets, literally," said Anthony Acevedo of the Lower East Side.

New York's 9 million drivers are furious because in a rush to raise money -- and to make it seem like they weren't raising taxes -- the Legislature increased fees on just about everything having to do with driving.

* The cost of license plates went from $15 to $25

* Driver licenses from $50 to $64.50

* Car registrations from $44 to $55

* And when you register your car you have to pay a county "use tax" of $10 to $60

And there's another new fee you probably don't know about. If you live in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority region it will cost you an extra $50 to register your car for the privilege of driving you pay a transit surcharge.

"That's terrible, especially what they're doing with all the cuts," said Ernesto Castillo of Mill Basin.

Castillo looked stunned when he came out of the Department of Motor Vehicles on Thursday. It cost him $205 to register his car.

"I was shocked. I remembered the last time I renewed it was $160," Castillo said.

CBS 2 HD then asked Raymond Leslie of the West Side, "Did you find out it cost you a whole lot more than the last time?"

Leslie: "Sure did. I don't know, maybe 50 percent more."

"Hopefully all of us can get together and do some kind of protest and get them to lower it down," added Scot Steinberg of the Upper West Side.

Some might call that wishful thinking because the hard truth about the Legislature is that it will raise motor vehicle fees whenever they think they can get away with it, knowing that few will give up their cars.

For now, motorists who have the old blue and white plates can keep them without paying a new fee.