Is Our Federal Burden Spread Evenly?

When I moved from Dallas to Las Vegas six months ago I knew there would be a fair amount of change involved. I knew up front that I would be changing jobs and careers. In Dallas I taught social studies at an inner city high school. In Las Vegas I am a writer for some community magazines.

Then there were other changes I thought about beforehand. For example I knew that casino gambling is everywhere in Las Vegas, but are at least 90 miles from my apartment in Dallas. I knew that people in Las Vegas would be different than those in Texas. And the list goes on.

There also have been some things I didn't think about - like dating. Before moving west I never thought about how economics might affect the singles scene. It does. A relatively recent increase in housing costs is causing people to share residences. A professional women in her 40's, for example, might own a home and live alone in Texas, but it is the exception to the rule in Las Vegas. Privacy is a premium, apparently expensive and in short supply.

After pondering the issue of income and cost of living, I came to realize that it brings us to a much larger issue - an issue that affects all Americans in one way or another. That issue is not only income versus cost of living, but income as a factor in determining how much federal tax we owe. About now some are wondering what I am talking about. Well, it boils down to this: if a person living in California must earn $80,000 to have an average lifestyle, then a person living in say Missouri might have to earn half as much to enjoy the same standard of living. Fine and dandy, right? Wrong.

The Californian earning $80,000 is expected to pay more in federal tax and shoulder more of the federal burden than the guy living in The Show Me State. When you think about it, it means that some Americans suffer from geographical discrimination, for lack of a better phrase. Those living near the West Coast are not alone. Those living in the Northeast are paying more than their fair share too when a side-by-side comparison is made to the Missouri wage earner.

I ran this scenario past a few friends, all of whom think I am too wrapped up worrying about the big picture instead of trying to find a middle-aged female homeowner. I think it is sad that too many people out there could actually pose for the "ostrich with head in the sand" drawing. Maybe it's time that we consider issues affecting us personally as well as issues that should be resolved for the greater good. I for one don't want an earful of sand.