Ah. But the Swiss have no military (except the Vatican) and no real foreign involvement. That is why they can ignore the plight of the world and focus on themselves.

Doesn’t matter. It just means that what the feds keep in the US would have to be higher than in Switzerland.

Nevertheless, I get what you are saying. Here is the rub: the states which pay little in taxes bc their tax base is low (and their citizens income is equally low) won’t raise takes. That is why they are ‘red states; it is a Darwin/ only the rich survive. Private schools/ colleges/ and richer enclaves. I live in CA and do pay high taxes, but it is worth it: roads , parks, beaches, decrease in pollution, etc.

Eh. California has a terrible public school system, and without Kaiser (a private business) health care there would be shit. The quality of life in a state is not well correlated to tax rates.

Note: Florida pays NO INCOME tax and it is a hot mess.

If it were a hot mess, you wouldn’t have wealthy retirees flocking there.

Anyway, the larger point is that what is quality and what is not is subjective. I live in Texas now, but I lived in California for years. I have no interest whatsoever in returning to CA, and certainly not the coast. Your quality of life is largely determined in the world by disposable income, and if an exorbitant amount of your money is going to mortgage and taxes, it;s not worth it, in my book.