> If California taxes people and businesses at insane levels, maybe we shouldn't replicate insane level of taxation everywhere else in U.S., on the off chance that it is not, in fact, an optimal level for generating wealth for the people.

This is nonsense. California is the strongest state in the union economically, with one of the highest quality of life and income per capita. We have an affordability crisis that is related to the topic at hand - billionaires hoarding wealth and driving up the cost of living - but that's a national problem that California can't solve on it's own. Our taxes pay for the things that enable our success - roads, power, dams, parks, libraries, and all that other good stuff.

Meanwhile Floridians can't use their beaches due to red tide and dumping tires in the water. The people of Houston JUST got their power back yesterday a week after a mere Category 1 hurricane. Maybe they should raise some taxes and do something about that so their cities stop losing economic productivity multiple times a year...