4 ms·
I currently live in the Midwest in a fairly high taxed state. I've also lived in other Midwestern states were taxes were super low and any effort to increase ta
by at-fates-hands 7y ago
I currently live in the Midwest in a fairly high taxed state. I've also lived in other Midwestern states were taxes were super low and any effort to increase taxes on anything was met with severe resistance.
The difference was very noticeable.
In the high taxed state, when I woke up at 7am after a heavy snowfall (read 6-10" of snow) my roads were plowed curb to curb. School buses were always running on time, the roads were clear and you were expected to be in the office.
In the low tax states, when I woke up at 7am after a heavy snowfall (read 6-10" of snow) the roads weren't plowed until late afternoon. Schools were routinely closed and you had no option but to work from home. The streets were hard to navigate since the plows just plowed around the parked cars, turning a two way street into a one way street. It was common to see cars plowed in for the Winter because the snow was plowed up over their windows. The city I lived in routinely ran out of money to pay the plow drivers so at times, the streets didn't get plowed at all later in the Winter months.
A lot of times, people reject the benefits of taxes and just see it as a money grab by the local and state governments. Once you experience the difference first hand, you can't have an appreciation of the amount of good taxes provide your local and state governments. I don't mind paying higher taxes because I know it does benefit everybody in a myriad of ways, not just the pleasant experience of having your streets plowed in a timely manner.
- mwcampbell 7y ago> in the Midwest in a fairly high taxed state Just curious, if you don't mind sharing, which state is that?
- at-fates-hands 7y agoI grew up in Minnesota. Lived in North Dakota for about eight years while attending college and grad school. The comparison was between those two states.
- RaleyField 7y agoI have a suspicion that most libertarians would be completely fine with unplowed roads. On top of that, should people want to have plowed roads they are free and welcome to hire someone to plow their roads.
- riku_iki 7y agoIt is more complex than that. Washington doesn't have income tax and doing Ok.
- tomatotomato37 7y agoYeah, tax income doesn't have to come from the general public if the state has a competitive advantage it can exploit in some way. That's how Florida gets away with ranking #2 on fiscal security with no income tax too; tourism pays for everything.