[Explain why 43 other states have income tax? Are you saying that Washington and the other six states are smarter than the rest?]

The "holy triad" of income tax, sales tax, and property tax has been shown in many of of those states that have all three to be no solution to Government's perennial incessant cries for "MORE MONEY!". States such as NJ and IL are always on the verge of being "broke", as just two examples.

However, for example, somehow,Oregon gets along with no sales tax, just as WA State does so with no income tax. 

So, yes, perhaps smarter are states that have not bought into a claimed "need" for the "holy triad".