[cgbg]

People paying full price when there are alternatives, are suckers

Well, I agree with you--sort of.

(Warning--Economics 1 lecture coming...)

Marginal utility will determine what each of us will do in this case.

The higher the tax the more time, effort etc. is justified to circumvent it assuming it is a legal activity. If it is an illegal activity a "risk factor" will be weighed by the consumer as they weigh whether circumvention is appropriate.

Since there are easy legal alternatives and high taxes in many states circumvention is a rational decision for most people.

People who continue to pay the taxes may do so because they are unaware of good alternatives (and every newspaper aticle or other media story reduces the likelihood of that) or too busy or rich to care. Suckers? Well, only some of them. To truly be a "sucker" they would have to know about the alternatives, have the time or other resources necessary to pursue it, and then choose to pay the higher tax.

[Great Dane]

To truly be a "sucker" they would have to know about the alternatives, have the time or other resources necessary to pursue it, and then choose to pay the higher tax.

You're right. :-}