Tennessee Financials (2013, schools, income)

[El Passeaux]

This is an interesting report showing how all 50 States are meeting their obligations.

http://www.truthinaccounting.org/lib...b/2013FSOS.pdf

[keithps]

I think this shines a light on why Tennessee doesn't necessarily have the best services and schools. It's a trade off. Obviously most states are in significant deb. I'd rather have a state that can meet its debt obligations and doesn't have the best services than one that is slap broke in order to provide every single thing available.

[Serious Conversation]

I've lived in five states in the past two years, from low tax ones like TN, to middle ground states like IN/IA, to a high tax state like MA.

TN doesn't charge me much and generally stays out of the individual's life. TN has decent roads, good parks, and reasonable services at the state level. I can't think of anything right off the top of my head that I need from the state that I don't get.

IN has a 4% state income tax, an additional county level income tax, and some of the worst roads I've ever been on. Miscellaneous taxes and fees are much higher in IN. Schools in IN, overall, aren't much better than TN. While I didn't get much in return from the TN government, it took very little from me. IN state government takes much more and I still get little in return at the state level. I live in a very wealthy area that provides some great parks and services, so paying the 1% municipal tax doesn't bother me so much.

IA has excellent schools, a booming economy, and decent services for a rural Midwestern state. While the taxes were just too high, at least I could see where the taxes were going. The same thing applied when I was in MA.