Cost of Living, Housing & Economy
Tax & Fee Burdens
Where total tax burdens are highest, and whether they drive people and businesses away.
The left bubble
“Progressive taxes fund the things we all rely on, and asking the well-off to pay their share is just fair.”
What this side feels
- •Belief that good schools, transit, and safety nets require revenue
- •A conviction that those who've done well should contribute more
- •Frustration at the idea of starving public services to cut taxes
- •Pride in states that invest in their residents
Why it feels true
Shaped by living somewhere taxes visibly buy services — universities, parks, health programs. The feed frames tax cuts as gifts to the rich, so high taxes feel like fairness and investment, not burden.
The right bubble
“High taxes and endless fees drive families and businesses to flee for lower-tax states.”
What this side feels
- •Frustration at income, sales, property, and fee burdens stacking up
- •Belief that people 'vote with their feet' toward freer states
- •Worry that employers and jobs follow the lower-tax map
- •A sense that high-tax states get less and less for the money
Why it feels true
Shaped by headlines about moving vans, relocating companies, and friends who left for no-income-tax states. The feed serves the exodus story, so 'taxes drive everyone out' feels like a clean, complete explanation.
Common ground
Most people want the same deal: a fair tax system where residents feel they get real value for what they pay, and where the state stays affordable enough to keep families and employers around.
Solutions on the table
Value for money
Audit and report what services taxpayers actually receive, so high or low taxes are judged on results, not slogans.
Broaden, simplify, stabilize
Favor simpler, broader tax bases over piling on narrow fees, which often hit lower-income residents hardest.
Track the trade-offs
Use honest migration and revenue data to see how tax choices affect who stays, who leaves, and what gets funded.
Compete on affordability
Pair any tax level with serious action on housing costs, the factor that moves families as much as taxes do.
Now make your voice count
Make state tax and fee policy transparent about what it costs residents and what services they get in return.
Take action
Who to contact: Your state legislators and governor (most tax and fee burden is set at the state level)
Your call script
Hi, my name is ___ and I live in [City]. Between income, sales, property, and fees, the total tax burden where I live is a real strain, and I want to know it's buying value. I'm asking [legislator] to support clear public reporting on what our taxes fund and to keep the state affordable enough that families and employers stay. Thank you.