We are unfortunate enough to live in a state that went blue because of all the immigrants and California transplants. Most parts of the Western side of the state of Washington are unrecognizable when compared to what it was like during our youth.
We pay over $20,000 a year in state and local taxes and we pay income tax on $10,000 of the money we give to the state. And we are not that wealthy, by the time we pay all of our taxes we are left with maybe $40,000 a year. Does that make us wealthy?
Sounds like a terrible situation. My sympathies.