Let's not confuse fees with taxes. In this case the total bite is $277.25 out of which $257.00 is a tax which goes to the general fund. Right? That makes the tax bite 92.7% of the total.

Personally, I'd rather pay for specific activities on a fee basis than taxes because fee money (dedicated accounts) are supposed to be spent for the designated purpose - unless the legislature decides to raid the dedicated account(s) which they have done with the RCO account the last several budget rounds to the tune of millions of $ which should have been spent on boating infrastructure IAW the law as generated via initiative.

Now, as to the assertion that we would somehow pay less overall under a system including an income tax I have to disagree. The legislature will get its money one way or another - the difference arguably is which group of citizens pays less and which pays more than under the current system.