Look out.

I don't just mean for state budget trimming, which is going to be brutish and nasty, but I'm talking about tax increases to balance the budget.

Now, when Republicans--like those who dominate our legislature--get together to increase revenue, they go through a little linguistic minuet. They never, ever raise taxes. What they do is, they put a "fee" on the most basic of life's necessities. A "breathing fee." A "walking fee." A "birth certificate fee."

Because a "fee" is user-based, it isn't a "tax," which is considered regressive for business.

Existing fees, of course, are ripe for raising (we've already discussed the exotic dancer licensing fee).

So, let's rewrite Ben Franklin's old adage for modern times: "The only certainties in life are death and fees."