Chicago has a high cost of living. They recently upped some taxes as well. I know in the metro area property taxes were insane. All that money and we are to believe that Chicago has better schools, better environmental protections, and a better social safety net? Given their high murder and shooting rates, that would seem like a completely false narrative.

Also, all the taxes and high housing costs in CA haven’t help with fire management nor dam infrastructure. The one dam almost failed and a report said many are decades old and in need of tons of money to repair. They have massive pension deficits yet no one is really preparing for when the bills come due and anyone who tries (San Diego) gets shot down in court.

High taxes, high wages for some, skyhigh housing costs, and liberal policies don’t automatically equal some sort of socialist utopia paradise.