The city so urgently needs the $2 billion from deadbeats who’ve skipped out on taxes and fines that Controller William Thompson is calling for amnesty on interest and penalties.

“We need every dollar right now,” Thompson said after making his proposal in a letter to the mayor Thursday. “We’ll lose the interest and penalties but we’ll get the principal.”

His proposal comes in the wake of a Daily News series exposing scofflaws owing more than $2 billion in taxes, parking tickets and fines for things like code violations.

The letter says the city collected $106 million from similar amnesties in 2003 and 2004.

There’s one problem with the proposal, according to the mayor’s office: The city already has an amnesty program, which is advertised on the Finance Department’s Web site.

“What he’s calling for we agree with because we’re already doing it,” said mayoral spokesman Marc La Vorgna, noting the program has brought in $4 million since November.

But Thompson, who is running against Bloomberg for mayor, is not impressed.

“When I’ve seen amnesty programs in the past, I’ve seen TV ads, radio ads, ads in newspapers,” Thompson said.

“Let’s go out. Let’s advertise. Let’s attract attention so we can attract additional dollars that normally we wouldn’t receive. … The money is out there. Let’s go and get it.”

Source: NY Daily News