To their credit, Mr. Pataki and legislative leaders have signaled a willingness to enact an increase in fees this year.

In order to prevent a default on the nation's obligations, Congress must enact a timely increase of the debt ceiling.

(Although Dole's 1982 act didn't raise gas taxes, only a few months later, Congress enacted a 5-cent-a-gallon increase in the gas tax with Dole's and President Reagan's approval.)

Pennsylvania also enacted an increase in the gasoline tax that was later made permanent to pay for the Interstate Highway System.

With Mr. Rowland's signature, Connecticut became one of the first states to enact an increase among the 15 or so where increasing the cigarette tax has gained significant legislative support this year.

The Government has promised to enact a large increase in public works spending and consider a large tax cut to stimulate fresh economic growth as soon as political reform is out of the way.

But the McGreevey administration, which helped close its projected budget gap by enacting a $1 billion increase in corporate taxes, responded almost aggressively to the news.

In acknowledgment of the extra work, the bartender's percentage of the tip pool at some restaurants has gone up, but Mr. Dexheimer conceded that many managers are reluctant to enact an increase.

New York enacted a major increase in the standard deduction.

And it recommended that the United States enact a "large, phased-in increase in the Federal tax on gasoline and the adoption of a carbon dioxide emissions fee applicable to the uses of fossil fuels."