Outsiders Wonder Why Connecticut Taxes Are So High—Residents Ask If It Has to Be This Way
On a recent edition of the No Spin News, Bill O'Reilly broke down the highest-taxed places in the nation: New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., California—and Connecticut.
His reaction was pure outside disbelief. Looking at the list, O’Reilly pressed on why Connecticut belongs in the top tier alongside massive urban powerhouses:
"It's got no big urban centers. It's got no public transportation. It doesn't have any... Where's the money going that you are grabbing from your citizens? Where? It's crazy."
While locals might chuckle at his claim that Connecticut has no transit (tell that to daily Metro-North commuters), the outsider's shock reveals something important. To someone looking in from the outside, paying California- and New York-level taxes without a global metropolis or a sprawling subway system makes no sense.
To residents, the answer to "Where is the money going?" isn't a total mystery. We know decades of bonded debt, coupled with massive unfunded pension and retiree health care obligations, consume billions before a single dollar reaches daily services. We also see the real-world toll: stifled business growth and our young people packing their bags for opportunity elsewhere.
Between the Lines: Outsiders look at the bill and ask where the cash went. But as voters head to the polls, residents are asking a much more fundamental question: Does it really have to stay this way?