The taxman giveth and taketh away

"The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination. "
~Ronald Reagan
From Instapundit.com,

DRIVING AN ELECTRIC CAR? You must be punished for depriving the government of gas-tax revenue! “After years of urging residents to buy fuel-efficient cars and giving them tax breaks to do it, Washington state lawmakers are considering a measure to charge them a $100 annual fee — what would be the nation’s first electric car fee. State lawmakers grappling with a $5 billion deficit are facing declining gas tax revenue, which means less money to maintain or improve roads.”

Bottom Line

Environmentalists claim that "Big Oil" is opposed to Green Cars. But the government also has a stake in the game and less gas used means less tax revenue to spend.