Yahoo Finance often has articles about the taxation as a gauge of where to live, whether a place to work or a place to retire to. The latest was "The Most and Least Taxing States to Live and Retire In", Joel Stonington, Bloomberg, 2011-10-09.
http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/113611/most-least-taxing-states-bloomberg
Many early commenters said they'd much rather live in the high tax states than the low tax states because the quality of life was better.
Articles like these never tout up the benefits received, better educated work force, better roads, better fire service, better police, better courts,… In other words, you get what you pay for.
Would you choose a hotel strictly on price? Gosh, for $10/night, you can get a tiny room with bedbugs, dirty sheets, broken springs, noisy neighbors, and no heat or air-conditioning. Or for $100/night you could get a spacious room with clean sheets, quiet neighbors, heat or air conditioning, and a "free" all-you-can eat breakfast.
