Californians pay high gas prices and high gas taxes yet still drive on bad highways

To state the obvious, California motorists are experiencing one of the state’s periodic spikes in gasoline prices. California’s average price for regular grade gas has again topped $5 a gallon, according to the most recent American Automobile Association report. It’s more than $6 in some areas. The average is up about 20 cents from a year ago and is about $1.50 higher than the national figure. I can attest to the differential, having spent part of March driving some 3,000 miles through four western states, mostly to visit national parks,...