After Vashon voters have congratulated themselves for approving the latest school levy, it might be worthwhile to reflect that Washington state’s taxation system is the most regressive in the nation. The bottom 20 percent, those earning less than $20,000 annually, pay an effective tax rate of 16.9 percent, while the top 1 percent, those earning more than $400,000 annually, pay an effective tax rate of 2.8 percent. Clearly something is amiss.

The voters of Vashon are unusual in that they vote to tax themselves — and it would be fair to presume that most would like to see an egalitarian system. Perhaps it is time to revisit the concept of a state income tax rather than nickel and diming our citizens with an ever increasing labyrinth of fees, levies and sales taxes.

— Julie Werbel