Recommendation No. 1 on my list of five beautiful ways to balance the Washington State budget: Tax the income of the very wealthiest.

This morning, a New York Times editorial approves of the idea in general and notes, with disappointment, that Washington just doesn't seem to want to take this path:

In too many states, though — including New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Washington — voters or governors have rejected higher taxes on high incomes, even though those at the top have experienced a windfall at the federal level.

One caveat: While it's true that Washington voters rejected a high earners income tax this past November, new polling, as I note, offers a possible path to getting one approved.