Plates petition growing

CANTON — As the number of online signatures top 20,000, St. Lawrence County Clerk Patricia A. Ritchie said Albany needs to rethink its plan to require new license plates for every car, truck, trailer and ATV registered in the state.

Earlier this week, Mrs. Ritchie said 2,400 county residents had joined her online petition to oppose the state plan. However, as of 6 p.m. Friday, Mrs. Ritchie said the petition broke the 20,000 mark.

"People really are outraged," said Mrs. Ritchie, "They can't take on anything else."

The state wants to replace the 10 million sets of license plates on the road, at a cost to motorists of $25 for each pair of plates, beginning April 1. There are about 80,000 sets of plates issued in St. Lawrence County alone.

If left unchanged, the plan will cost St. Lawrence County residents $2.5 million. A majority of signers on Mrs. Ritchie's petition report that they own more than one vehicle — and some who own ATVs, boats and trailers have as many as six or more — meaning the license plate mandate could cost some families $100 or more.

Mrs. Ritchie said it's "heartbreaking" to read the various comments posted on the petition.

"Some people will have to decide to pay for new license plates or groceries. People are that desperate right now," she said. "Not one comment or call supports the new license plates."

She said several other counties are taking St. Lawrence County's lead by creating their own Web sites for online petitions. Saratoga and Oswego counties are starting petitions, and a number of her other colleagues have inquired about the effort as well.

Mrs. Ritchie said that when the petitions are complete, she will send the list of signers to the two north country state lawmakers who voted for the new plate mandate — Sen. Darrel Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, and Assemblywoman Addie Russell, D-Theresa — to demand relief.

"We're going to print a copy for our state legislators who voted for it and then print out a copy for the governor," said Mrs. Ritchie.

She said she might wait until other counties have accumulated their petitions to present a much larger number of names to state legislators and Gov. David A. Paterson.

"Unless it is repealed, this is going to happen April 1," she said.

ONLINE PETITION

To sign St. Lawrence County's online petition against the new state license plate requirement, go to www.

nonewplates.com.