Most immigration illegal and legal is tied in with families. So besides the huge Portugese contingent from the Azores there's also huge populations of Portugese from Cape Verde around New Bedford.
Massachsetts taxes are not too high compared to other NE states. Unlike the Ozarks, we have infrastructure to take care of (mass transit, paved roads, public colleges, etc etc etc).
Gee, I wonder how we pay for our infrastructure down here in Hooterville. You know, our mass transit, paved roads, public colleges, etc etc etc.
I guess we're just not sophisticated enuff to know that we need to punish the populace with hypertaxation to pay for it all.