Effort to dodge public vote on income tax

OLYMPIA – This will sound funny anywhere outside Olympia, but there is a question that for years has stumped half the Legislature. If an income tax is so good for the people of the state of Washington, why do they say no every time they are asked?

Advocates of higher taxes and spending have tried just about everything. Big income taxes, little income taxes, income taxes dedicated to noble purposes and income taxes that is only supposed to hurt millionaires. Yet the people keep voting no – ten times since 1934. The last time, in 2010, the margin was 64-36 percent – so big you'd think they'd lea...