[Recovering_Democrat]

Look carefully: ALL of the low tax burden states went for BUSH in 2000. With the exception of WYOMING, all the HIGHEST states went for GORE in 2000.

[Lil'freeper]

I would have expected Maryland to rank as one of the very worst. Is there any way to get a good link to look up PRM on their chart?

[MsGail61]

Did they exempt income tax free states like FL?

[Dan from Michigan]

They forgot PROPERTY taxes. Those are probably the worst type.

[SwinneySwitch]

Texas has no state income tax.

[Mr. Bird]

this can be misleading. Obviously, low per-capita states such as Mississippi will have a lower percentage burden, because the majority of the earners are in lower brackets.

Not to say that this isn't useful, but there are mitigating factors. A better measurement would be to simply stack up the state tax burdens against each other in an apples to apples comparison: state income rates vs. state income rates, property vs. property, sales vs. sales, etc.

[drjimmy]

It's also interesting that 6 of the 10 worst states had Republican governors (with 3 Dems and 1 Reform).

[Guilliamus]

Re Wyoming...numbers can be misleading. Wyoming has no state income tax and a very low over all tax rate...among the lowest in the nation as far as Wyoming residents are concerned. Wyoming shows up as a high tax state on your list because it has an extractive tax on coal and oil that users in (mostly) Gore states end up paying.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Twelve years ago, befoer Connecticut imposed an income tax on it's citizens, they were 47th or 48th from the worst taxed state, i.e. before the income tax, it was a pretty decent place to live (tax wise).

[jammer]

When federal taxes are included . . .

This definitely makes per capita earnings relevant, even if the state taxes (sales, property, etc.) are leveled. I would like to see a comparison of dollars collected divided by the population of the state. Period.

[Uncle Miltie]

Note also that the high-income states vote Gore, and the low income states vote Bush. Rich Democrats make me puke.

B.C., FARGO, ND! Yah!

[applemac_g4]

Something fishy about these lists. I find it hard to believe that Washington is second worst with no income tax.

[timestax]

bump