Legislators make driving more costly

Washington state lawmakers this year increased the cost to both buy a vehicle and fill the gas tank, adding an additional 0.2% sales tax to car purchases and a $0.06 per gallon tax increase on fuel.

They argue the new taxes are needed to maintain highway and ferry infrastructure, yet politicians furthered their efforts to tax drivers and divert a large share of those taxes to other purposes.

While an attempt was also made again to tax drivers by the mile to divert money, lawmakers "waved the white flag" on the issue this legislative session. This mileage tax will likely resurface again. The tr...