Comment Re:shortchanging investment in education... (Score 1) 335
Australia is an entire continent, about the same size as your 'lower 48', but it has a smaller population than California. 21 million vs. 36.5 million. We're spread out all over the shop, comically low population density, although there are a couple of quite big cities on the east coast. Just shy of 20% of the country is desert. The Western Desert is bigger than California. Not much work gets done there. Not much work gets done anywhere really. Could be a cultural thing, maybe it's the weather. Don't know and I don't much care.
It's interesting that Californian's have, as you say, some of the highest taxes in the nation. In Australia we have a single federal taxation system which covers income tax and consumption - the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which replaced the old sales tax about ten years ago.
States have a limited power to impose duties such as the stamp duty imposed on the purchaser in the sale of cars, houses, alcohol and tobacco but remain largely dependant on the federal government for funding. Of course each state has its own education system, police and fire departments, etc. More or less everything is duplicated. But the taxes are federal.
Probably of greater interest to the average punter on Slashdot - it's the height of summer here and topless sunbathing is gaining popularity on St Kilda beach. Hot European backpackers are leading the charge. Thank you Europe.