One of the central issues in Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2003 campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, was a phony claim that Davis wanted to raise the California “car tax.” In reality:

[The Vehicle License Fee had been] passed and signed into law under Davis’s predecessor, Republican Pete Wilson, and took effect only under emergency cash fall contingencies so that certain vital state governmental programs could continue.

(The fact that the revenue shortfalls were a result of Enron’s pillaging of California’s energy market — a plunder that many believe was conceived by Ken Lay and Vice Pres. Dick Cheney — is another story.)

Four years later, look who’s raising fees on California drivers now:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday signed into law a controversial increase in motorists’ fees that is intended to raise millions to develop alternative fuel and clean-air technology.

Consumer advocates condemned the bill for putting the costs on the backs of motorists rather than oil companies…

AB 118 … increases the fees charged to car owners in order to raise $210 million for new energy subsidies and clean-air programs.

The governor denied through a representative that he was being inconsistent in approving increases in the smog abatement and vehicle registration fees after initially winning election on a vow to kill an increase in the vehicle license fee.

Since his reelection last year, Schwarzenegger has done an excellent job of appearing in the news only when necessary and avoiding using cutsey catch-phrases (”girly men,” “I’ll be back,” etc.) when speaking in public, and has thus managed to be less annoying to independents and moderate Democrats. Conversely, however, while he has coddled California’s liberal majorities, he has become persona non grata within his own party.

It’s hard to discern a political advantage with this move. Raising fees on driving is a dead certain way to tick off Californians of every political stripe.