Fee hikes quietly passed by state legislature

Though the state budget last week was trumpeted as a "no-tax" budget, the San Diego Union Tribune has revealed that's not entirely so:

Drivers will be tapped for an additional $11 when they register their car or motorcycle starting Dec. 1. That will raise about $300 million for California Highway Patrol programs this fiscal year.

Funny, since Gov. Schwarzenegger's started his time as executive of the state with massive cuts to the vehicle licensing fee in 2003 that were not accompanied by similarly-sized cuts in spending.