Idea tries to flow upstream

"Give the environmental lobby in Olympia points for boldness. In pursuit of legislative approval of a worthy goal — establishing a sustainable funding source for cleaning up storm water pollution — environmentalists and a host of Democratic lawmakers are dangling an enticingly easy way out of the state’s current budget mess.

If only it were that easy. Alas, state government is a very big fish. Once it swallows this bait, the Legislature is all too likely to want more, with little accomplished regarding pollution.

Here’s the pitch:

To fund projects that keep contaminated runoff out of rivers, streams, lakes and Puget Sound, the current tax on oil and other hazardous chemicals would be tripled, raising up to $250 million a year. The oil industry and other business interests predict that would raise the price of gasoline by 4 to 6 cents a gallon. Bill supporters say the oil companies are profitable enough to swallow the increase. But no one knows for sure..."