CA suffers 2nd highest taxes; 2X liberal Wash State

24 Mar, 2014 by John Seiler

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A new study by WalletHub.com found California suffers the second highest state and local taxes of any state, after only New York. And California taxes, averaging $9,509 per family, are 2.4 times as high as even liberal Washington State; and a stunning four times as much as Wyoming.

In the chart, redder is higher taxes, greener is lower.

Below are some of the states and the District of Columbia, with the ranking on the left and the median taxes paid on the right.

And what does the money buy? Education dominates state budgets. And in California, Proposition 98 even mandates that 40 percent of the state budget must go to education. Local school districts spend billions above that through taxes and bonds.

So in the list, to the right of the tax amount I’ve included each state’s 2013 score (in parentheses) from the 4th grade math test of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

1. Wyoming, $2,365 (247)

2. Alaska, $2,791 (236)

3. Nevada, $3375 (236)

4. Florida, $3,648 (242)

6. Washington, $3,823 (246)

7. Texas, $5,193 (242)

37. District of Columbia, $8,034 (229)

50. California $9,509 (234)

51. New York $9,718 (240)

No correlation

What the numbers show is that there is, basically, no correlation between school spending and student achievement. California and New York spend the most, but have the same dismal scores as Nevada and Alaska, which spend among the least.

Wyoming and Washington State spend among the least, but enjoy some of the highest scores.

Florida and Texas spend little, but score in the middle of the pack on tests.

Taxes are high in California and New York, not because they purchase student achievement, but because public-employee unions are strong and can muscle state legislators, local politicians and school districts into providing high worker pay, perks and pensions.

Washington State is an anomaly because it’s now a heavily Blue State, heavily voting Democratic. Yet it still has no state income tax and government remains comparatively frugal. Maybe it’s all that rain.