Two bills expected to clear the state legislature this session
would give the green light to tolls on major highways around
Puget Sound  as a way to reduce traffic and greenhouse-gas
emissions. A recent study says Washington State could raise $36
billion over 20 years through variable tolls. Transportation is
the single largest producer of carbon dioxide in Washington, so
environmentalists say it makes sense to move toward tolls that
take cars off the road. So far so good. Buried in the Seattle
Times  story about the road-toll initiative, however, is the
most-likely explanation as to why legislators are backing it:
The Washington State government needs a new source of money to
compensate for falling revenues due to more fuel-efficient cars.
Apparently the growth of state gas-tax revenue is slowing and,
as vehicles become more fuel-efficient, officials are afraid tax
collections won't keep up with their spending projections. So
instead of allowing people to reap the benefits of acting
responsibly by driving mo