Some lawmakers, including seven GOP Assembly members from Long Island, have been calling for a slice in New York's tax on gasoline to give strapped motorists a break as prices soar.
But a skeptical State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli seemed to reach for the brake when asked about such proposals last night at the Saratoga Hilton -- where he had just delivered welcoming remarks for a reception of the spring business meeting of the state Democratic committee.
"The problem is, can you replace the state revenues?" DiNapoli told Newsday. "If it were to trigger mid-year budget cuts, it would not seem like the smartest thing to do." Generally, it is a matter on which the federal government should begin to focus, said DiNapoli, who was a Democratic Assemblyman from Nassau last year before replacing the disgraced Alan Hevesi in the comptroller's post.
The ultimate benefit of a tax break on fuel has been debated of late on a national level, with presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain differing with Barack Obama in their backing for such a break.
Dan Janison