[legion]

I don't disagree with you Superman, but here's my take on these kind of fees:

It starts out as a $10 annual fee. The economy is good, the legislature then decides to create a program to assist scuba divers with eczema pay for lotion so they don't chap their hands while weaving baskets. The next year the economy hits the brakes. The legislature reduces the budgets of education, the DMV, and other essential government functions. They don't touch the hand-lotion-for-flaky-underwater-basket-weavers program. Why? Because it was the pet project of the one guy they need a vote from to balance (don't laugh, this is all hypothetical) the budget. To help balance the budget, they increase the fee from $10 a year to $10 per minor employee per year. Economy rebounds, more pet projects. Economy tanks again. More essential government projects are cut. The fee is raised from $10 per minor employee per year to $50 per minor employee per year. Someone in the legislature suggest cutting the hand-lotion subsidy for scuba divers. The scuba divers respond by mounting a massive demonstration on the state capital...the legislature backs down.

I've found this cycle has nothing to do with the letter next to one's name. Illinois was controlled by Republicans for a long time and this happened. Now it's controlled by Democrats, and the exact same thing is happening.