Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
A commemorative license plate for the New York Giants was unveiled hours after their Super Bowl victory.  Some people are not happy about it.  Check out why after the jump…
Now, two New York lawmakers say a similar but delayed tribute to the “real heroes” of the 9/11 attacks is long overdue and shouldn’t take a back seat to millionaire athletes.
(INFO ON THE PLATES HERE)
“I’m happy that the Giants won the Super Bowl as much as the next New Yorker, but who are the real heroes our state should first be celebrating with distinctive plates, the athletes on the gridiron or the first responders and the people who lost their lives on Sept. 11?” Republican Assemblyman James Tedisco, a former college athlete and high school coach, said Thursday.
The plate for the team that plays in New Jersey was issued despite a moratorium on new commemorative plates in New York. A lawsuit by an advocacy group has sought a “Choose Life” license plate since 2001 and brought a lawsuit on First Amendment grounds. That led in part to a moratorium on new plates in 2004.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration says the Super Bowl plates don’t violate the moratorium because they are a reworking of a 1987 Giants Super Bowl commemorative plate with a new date and logo.
The bill, which has languished since 2005, was introduced by Tedisco, who represents Schenectady and Saratoga counties, Democratic Assemblyman William Scarborough of Queens, and Republican Sen. Kenneth LaValle of Long Island. They announced the bill Thursday with a father of a victim of the terrorist attacks.
“The Giants win of the Super Bowl is potentially a temporary one year reign. The tragedy of 9/11 with respect to our fallen heroes and those who survived is eternal. Are we more interested in yesterday’s game than that ill-fated day we should never forget, or have we forgotten?” said Steven Cafiero, of Glenville. His son, Steven Cafiero Jr., died in the World Trade Center’s south tower.
The bill would direct the fee revenue from a commemorative plate to charities benefiting the families of those killed in the attacks.
The Department of Motor Vehicles didn’t immediately comment on the bill.
The Giants Super Bowl plate generates additional revenue for the state, as do all commemorative plates. A new plate with a random number costs $60, and there’s a $31.25 annual fee to keep it. Personalized Giants plates cost $91.25 with an annual $62.50 fee. Those updating from the old Super Bowl plates get a slight break.
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