On Thu, 14 Sep 2017 20:54:02 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>On 9/14/2017 3:45 PM, Bruce wrote:
>> On Thu, 14 Sep 2017 15:34:07 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>
>>> On 9/13/2017 9:55 PM, Bruce wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 13 Sep 2017 21:29:25 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 9/13/2017 8:41 PM, Bruce wrote:
>>>>>> On Wed, 13 Sep 2017 17:33:36 -0700 (PDT), "
>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>> You are living in a dream world. I would object very loudly if I had
>>>>>>> to pay up to 80% of my salary so I can provide housing to some lazy
>>>>>>> character that wants everybody else to provide him a place to crash.
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't know of any country in our (western) world, where people have
>>>>>> to pay 80% (or 70% or 60% etc) of their salary in taxes.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Some get rather high, over 50%. Then add in taxes on goods. cost of
>>>>> utilities
>>>>> http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/c...the-world.html
>>>>> Sweden has the second highest income tax rate in the world, and the
>>>>> highest in Europe, with a 56.6% deducted from annual income. Though
>>>>> Swedes may be taxed heavily, sales on residential properties are
>>>>> exempted from taxation there.
>>>>
>>>> If you make under USD 54,500 in Sweden, you pay 31%. If you make more,
>>>> you pay 51-56% over the excess. So you can't say the Swedes are paying
>>>> 56.6%.
>>>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Sweden#Income_tax>
>>>>
>>>> And it's also about what you get for your tax payments. Are their
>>>> roads better than in the US? Is their healthcare better? Is their
>>>> elderly care better? Is their crime less?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Difficult to make true comparisons. While taxes are higher, it often
>>> includes healthcare that in the US is paid for by the individual or his
>>> employer. A gallon of gas in the US is about $2.50 now and in Europe it
>>> is often triple due to other taxes. We have sales tax, they have VAT.
>>> I don't know what they do for property tax.
>>> Published tax rates mean little unless you study the whole system.
>>
>> I think Swedes pay more taxes but their country works better. You have
>> a bigger army, though.
>>
>
>Truer comparison my be hours worked to buy a shirt, shoes, TV, etc.

That's very materialistic. I'd rate higher if I like the work, how
much time off I have, how good healthcare or elderly care are, etc.

I'd rather live in the southern US, though. The Swedish climate is not
for me

>Lifestyle and happiness are factors too. US is generally stingy on
>vacation time.