Pennsylvania has a 3.07% income tax, a 6% sales tax, an 18% excise tax on booze, and a ton of toll roads yet the state still never has enough money to build quality roads.
Can you say MAFIA?
Virginia raised taxes $1.5B and is now running a $1.5B surplus. The General Assembly is in session now and is talking about raising the gas tax, tax on car insurance, increase or add tolls on the interstates, increase fines for repeat traffic offenders to pay for roads. They're voting on these measures in the very near future.
And yet, we have some of best roads in the country. Why my taxes have to go up to fix a problem that isn't just frosts me.
Re PA the reason is that the countys are not involved with fixing roads and the State can't do the job well for intra-regional roads.
Actually, PA has one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation.
In fact, compared to its neighbors and other North East states (NY, MD, OH, VA, WV, CT, RI, MA, & ME) it's a relative tax haven. Only NH and DE are lower.
Nonetheless, I do go to MD whenever possible to buy my booze ;>}
Whee! We're #1. I think we have the worst schools too.