2001-2005
By John Schroy, on March 2nd, 2006 | 
Federal Reserve flow of funds table F105 shows that the cost of state and local government to citizens has been steadily escalating over the last five years.
Taxes and other receipts of state and local government increased 2.7% in 2002, 5.5% in 2003, 6.2% in 2004, and 6.7% in 2005.
Most state and local government are not allowed to run a fiscal deficit and increases in expenses are passed on to citizens as higher taxes and other receipts.
The government, in calculating the Consumer Price Index, does not include the cost of increased taxes.
Investor demographics
By John Schroy, on March 1st, 2006 | 
Despite tax benefits and a generation of strenuous marketing efforts, over half of US households do not have Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
In fact, 29% of US households have neither IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. IRAs owners are typically middle-aged, married, college educated, and employed — and with much higher incomes than people that don’t have IRA savings.
Americans between 50 and 64 years without formal retirement savings have median total financial assets of only $2,500.
Real Estate 1995-2004
By John Schroy, on February 28th, 2006 | 
Over the decade 1995 – 2004, the market value of US residential real estate increased, on average, about 10% a year. The imputed value of land as a percentage of total residential property values, rose from 25% to 38%. The older the city, the greater the burden unionized public servants will be on local property values.
State and Local Government liabilities with pension funds (Q3 2005) totaled US$2.7 trillion, and this is probably understated.
Whereas citizens cannot escape federal taxes, they can run from state and local taxes by moving to lower-tax areas — ‘voting with their feet’, as it were.
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