[Hulksmash]

So my tabs are due. On my renewal notice is the option to "donate" $5 to state parks. Sure i could opt out....but i can go with out Starbucks for a day. Here's what bugs me...Since it's a donation what if i wanted to donate more than $5? I don't see a way to donate more.

[Hit]

I donated the five bucks too. You could probably call the dmv or go in and ask. Did you ask when you got your tags?

[Hulksmash]

[Slugman]

We pay the $5 each time, so that's $15 per year. I use the state park system some, and I approve of it in general, so I might as well kick in a few bucks.

[tigermn]

Yea I pay the $5 a year on 3 vehicles however if they institute a pass/permit thing I wonder if this sticks around. In any event if I have to buy a pass for state park access I might reconsider donating the $15 a year at tab renewal time.

[GeoHiker]

By default the $5 is added to your tab fee when buying online or in person. You must opt out to have it removed. I think it's a sneaky way to ding more money out of people. If it went strictly to State Parks I would be all in favor, but it doesn't. There was a segment on KIRO radio several months ago highlighting this and the "donation" is running around 40-45% of new tab renewals. That's amounting to millions of dollars going into the general fund. Many people interviewed had no idea they paid extra. If you buy your tabs online, by default the box is checked, so you may have payed and not even noticed.

[tigermn]

I waited too long and they were expired so I went to a place. I thought it was interesting though that they did ask me if I wanted to pay the $5 for state parks before giving me the total. I might have thought they would have been a little more sneaky about it but then again they are agents and don't really have anything to gain if you pay the $5 or not. They get their $5 surcharge or whatever it is on top of it all...

[Chief Joseph]

[Daryl]

The state gets enough money from me. I'll give my voluntary donations to more needy causes.

[DIYSteve]

Is there similar outrage when a bank sneaks in fee after fee after fee after fee and disguises it with deceptive bills? And don't come back with "shop the marketplace for a new bank" because they all do it. I do agree that the more honest way to raise more revenue would be to raise taxes, but that has become a political impossibility.

[huron]

State park funding should come out of the general state budget and not from fees. Same for toll roads. Voting with my money, I try to support and vote for initiatives to fund the parks and decline to donate/pay as a fee.

[Hulksmash]

[Hulksmash]

For those who did not click the linky....enjoy...you payed for this.

[DIYSteve]

Advocating public health and encouraging preventative measures is a legitimate function of government. Flu outbreaks interrupt commerce, i.e., sick workers, fewer consumers. Washing hands is a very effective way to lessen the risk of a flu outbreak and avoid individual outbreaks.

[sarbar]

And if more people did it they wouldn't have to run ads like that. Pretty simple but there are some pretty stupid/lazy people out there.