And this would surprise you how?

House Speaker Sal DiMasi likes the idea of a gasoline tax as being fairer than the massive toll hikes approved by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

Now there's a surprise.

My only quarrel with Barbara Anderson and the anti-tax army is that I really don't think the Turnpike Authority is smart enough or strategic enough to really have plotted this in some dark corner. Their decision was just another in a long series of missteps.

And I certainly don't agree with them when it comes to the basic issue. I've been beating that horse for years now. A massive toll increase on people who use the Big Dig the least -- MetroWest commuters -- is grossly unfair. And doubling the tunnel tolls spreads the insult to the north while leaving the south off the hook.

No one likes higher taxes -- and there is merit to the argument that you don't raise them in a recession.

But the gas tax is in large measure a user fee (and Mitt Romney would not doubt argue) because you don't pay it if you don't buy gas. If you do, a higher tax is a much fairer way to spread the cost of the construction, repair and maintenance of all roads and bridges.

And you may recall Massachusetts has a rather extensive need for maintenance and repair.

A gas tax at $2 a gallon is also a lot easier to swallow than at $4. Let's hope lawmakers do the right thing this time.