California's tax myths

California tax myths

Despite complaints, state's rate is far from highest

It's not Taxifornia.

The widely held view that California is unusually harsh in taxing its people -- which is echoing especially loudly in the state's gubernatorial recall campaign -- is largely a myth.

It turns out that California ranks a mere 19th out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the tax burden it imposes on individuals and businesses.

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agree with the sentiment that only other people should pay taxes.

I used to live in Minnesota, and worked for a while for a branch of a company which was headquarted in Texas, so most of my fellow employees had moved to MN from TX.

They complained a LOT about the high taxes, especially the state income tax. And then, a few sentences later they'd remark on the wonderful park system, the fine public schools, the lower gas prices. I'd try to point out that maybe there was a connection between taxes and services, and they'd look at me as if I'd suddenly turned green and sprouted another head.

California used to have a reputation for having really fine public schools (although I personally think that reputation was always overrated) but there's nearly universal agreement in the state that the schools have been declining steadily since Prop 13 was passed -- when exactly was that? Some time in the 70's, I think.

are a prime reason tourists come. Too bad the Bushies
want to privatize them.