The call of the Republicans in their native environment. This means when they pick your pocket to pay for their programs it won’t be called a tax, it will be called a fee.

From the Local Puppy Trainer: Some vehicle, license fees will double

The Legislature this year approved across-the-board rate increases for fees charged by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The new prices take effect Sept. 1.

“This is a huge deal. A lot of the fees are doubling,” said Okaloosa County Tax Collector Chris Hughes. “It kind of slipped in there. None of us knew about it until after the Legislature approved it.”
…

Below are some of the hikes:

• License plate renewals: From $28.10 to $46.65.
• Registration fee for new vehicles: From $100 to $225.
• Drivers license: From $32.25 to $54.25.
• Replacement of lost license: From $15.25 to $31.25.

You can double fees, but don’t ever suggest a 0.1% increase in anything labeled as a tax.

I scan a dozen media sites every day. The leading purveyor of news today is CNet, because, of all of the sites around the world that I read, they were the only site on which the lead story was not “Michael Jackson is still dead”. They had their story on the impact of the death at number 3 [there was a surge of traffic on Twitter, YouTube, and the ‘Net].

John Doone Donne makes a valid point in Meditation XVII: “… any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.” I don’t doubt the sincere shock and pain felt by others, but this has reached media-fueled hysteria. One of the contributing causes of his death was Mr. Jackson’s refusal to mature. The same can be said of the media.