Governor unveils $3.6 billion plan to pay for state roads, ferries, bridges
Gov. Chris Gregoire on Tuesday unveiled a plan to raise $3.6 billion for the upkeep of roads, bridges and ferries and pay the bulk of it with a new fee on the state's oil refineries.
The governor used her annual State of the State address to argue that Washington needs the funds in the coming decade because it is woefully short of money to patch potholes, repave highways, keep state ferries operating and improve major routes crisscrossing the state.
"When we build roads, they don't take care of themselves. When you buy a car, you pay for it, you maintain it by changing the oil, rotating the tires and make the repairs," she said.