Blue states: High taxes and lots of headaches

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

In his Wednesday letter to the editor, Steve Oakes argues “free garbage pickup” in New York City is a desirable item in return for higher taxes. Is that it? Has Mr. Oakes ever lived in New York for any length of time? I have.

You have to move your car for street cleaning daily or pay stiff fines. Or you pay upward of $500 monthly for garage parking. You pay $150-plus monthly for tolls.

Then there are the city taxes, county taxes and state taxes. You’re crammed into the Big Apple with 8 million neighbors. Noise pollution. Air pollution. Traffic jams. The most maniacal drivers in the nation. Rents? How about $3,000 monthly for a one-bedroom apartment? That’s for starters. But you get garbage pickup thrown in as a perk.