New York, NY —

Tomorrow, Gov. Paterson will unveil his plan for closing the $15 billion deficit that the state is projecting over the next two years. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman says automobile drivers will feel some of the pain.

REPORTER: Right now, the Department of Motor Vehicles charges about $70 to register a typical car every two years, and 44 cents of each gallon of gas is due to state taxes.

Paterson and a top adviser, Richard Ravitch, say Albany will need to raise those numbers to balance the state budget, although the governor's press office won't comment on what will be in Tuesday's plan.

John Corlett of the American Automobile Association says it makes a big difference how the new money would be used.

CORLETT: If the state is going to impose a car registration fee or gas tax for general budget purposes we would oppose that 100 percent.

REPORTER: Corlett says higher taxes and fees should instead bail out a highway maintenance fund that is now spending 50 percent of its money just paying off old debt. For WNYC, I'm Matthew Schuerman.