Unfortunately, it is of such a low priority that lawmakers don't want to put that issue up against other general fund programs because they know that there are much more important issues that state government must address like education, repair of facilities at the University and so on.

But lawmakers can't ignore their eco-friendly constituents, so they are finding ways to hide the cost of going green from taxpayers. After all, it is an election year and lest the words "tax increase" pass over their lips, that is a risk they are not about to take.

No, instead of raising taxes, lawmakers are sneaking increases into the tax burden through user fees and charges. Last week we looked at a proposal that would tack an annual fee of $5,000 on all manufacturers of electronic devices plus make them pay another fee based on the weight of those devices imported into the state.