You are paying for infrastructure. $50 / billion a year, 4% of the total budget. Not including specific city budgets and local spending. https://www.usgovernme

You are paying for infrastructure. $50 / billion a year, 4% of the total budget. Not including specific city budgets and local spending. https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/spending_chart_2009_2024CAb_60t https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/spending_chart_2009_202... Taxes are just one side of the same coin, the high cost of living is really just a density issue. Lots of high paying jobs, lots of Nimby building practices and little density and transit investment. Tokyo is a city of 20 million people yet is far more affordable and even has higher taxes. California didn't build to support it's population. If these secondary cities make the same mistake, they too will be high cost/unlivable places.