Our state is in a financial crisis regarding funding for schools. Year after year our state government cannot come up with an agreement on funding.

The state Supreme Court is fining the state $100,000 a day until it comes up with a plan. The fine now totals about $66 million.

One possible solution is a state income tax. We know, people in this state historically have hated that solution.

But at this point, it needs to be considered.

Washington is one of only seven states in the nation that doesn’t have a state income tax. Those other 43 states understand the need for one.

Our state’s residents want to keep the money they earn. That is understandable. But you are fooling yourself if you think you are keeping more of your money just because there is not a state income tax. We just are paying taxes in many other ways.

According to bankrate.com, we are the most-regressive state in the country when it comes to taxation. The poorest 20 percent in our state pay 17 percent of their income on taxes. The wealthiest 1 percent pay only 2.8 percent. And the middle 60 percent pay 10.5 percent.

Those statistics are staggering, especially considering we are known nationwide as a “progressive” state, led by the liberal Democrat stronghold that is King County.

Our state taxes us in so many other ways. We pay 37.5 cents per gallon in the gas tax, fifth-highest in the nation. We pay huge amounts in “sin” taxes for cigarettes and alcohol. Taxing businesses more would not be fair because we all benefit from a literate society. Taxes on estates and on property, etc., do not spread the burden out equally.

With an income tax, everyone would pay their fair share for schools. Forget about tax write-offs, etc., which only confuse the issue and give the rich more ways to get out of paying. Everyone should pay the same percentage of tax based on the amount of money they make.

The state has nickeled and dimed us to death over decades, and that hasn’t worked for funding schools.

The average state income tax in the nation is 9.9 percent. Ours should be less, considering how much we pay elsewhere, unless those taxes are cut (like that would happen).

We think that would be a fairer way for the state to get the money it needs to fully fund education.