£95k is very decent in the countryside but in London that's nothing to write home about, is it? I don't live in London or even the UK, so my statement is just based on friends living there.
[0] https://www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk/salary.php
[1] https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-paycheck-calculator#...
What do they spend it on?
A common American complaint is "subsidizing" European defense off of our tax dollars.
America is also a big spread out place so maintaining it is more expensive than small Euro countries.
On my first point, I think we get a rather strategic advantage from being the "Western" police. However I'm just explaining a common critique you'll hear.
Other states might end up having similar tax rates, i was just curious what made Californias so high. If that is mostly federal income tax then never mind!