Michael Hiltzik: The gas tax repeal pothole: The need to fix the roads collides with fiscal politics

Here are two enduring certainties about California.

1. The roads are crumbling.

2. Californians hate taxes.

These points are going to be butting heads at the ballot box this year, if the opponents of the recent gas- and vehicle-tax hikes have their way. They've been collecting signatures to place a measure on November's ballot repealing the tax increases, which were enacted last year and have been going into effect in stages. They've already succeeded in placing on the June 5 primary ballot an effort to recall one Democratic state senator who voted for the tax increases.

"This is a campaign to repeal a tax on working families that is laying the groundwork for fraud," says Carl