In an attempt to close the budget gap, lawmakers are considering two new plans to raise fees on New Yorkers. The plan proposes raising the fees on buying cars and taking out a mortgage. "These two proposals are being seriously considered by us," Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Martin Dilan told the Daily News. more ›

Asked yesterday about a proposal under consideration by the Health Department to raise taxes on alcohol, Mayor Bloomberg told reporters, "Never say never." But he added, "We do not plan to have that in our budget that we're working on right now." The Health Department gave booze hounds the shakes earlier this week when an official starting talking about "ways to reduce preventable illness and death," such as making alcohol more expensive. But as the Daily News reports today, high booze taxes may have helped make Alaska healthier. The state has the highest beer and wine taxes in the nation, and "saw a 29% drop in alcohol-related deaths when excise taxes were first raised there in 1983." And a second tax hike in 2002 may have contributed to a 11% drop in those deaths. Wow, maybe the government should just bring back Prohibition and eliminate death by 100 percent! more ›

That expensive cocktail may get more expensive: State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Bronx) is proposing a tax on alcohol. NY1 reports that Oritz argues "most of the funds generated through the new tax would be used for alcohol and drug abuse treatment and education programs around the state" (those programs face cuts with the proposed budget). Previously, Ortiz has suggested banning alcohol ads on MTA properties, taxing strip clubs, and grading kids' weights. more ›