When you think about California, New York and New Jersey, it's easy to visualize some of the great natural and man-made monuments that make those states great to live in.  Each has miles of ocean coastline, beautiful beaches, lush forests, (really, the Delaware Water Gap in  NW New Jersey is beautiful) and architectural wonders like the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.  Unfortunately, these three states have something else in common that is driving people to literally drive out of their state.  The WSJ in this opinion piece highlights some of the reasons behind this.  Just by coincidence, NY, CA and NJ are ranked 1st, 2nd and 6th respectively in state/local tax burdens.  The irony is that even with those high taxes, the three states have a combined projected deficit of nearly $60 billion in 2010.  I suppose if you like high taxes, high priced health care and lack of job opportunities then these are the states to be in, though it appears the citizens of those states have had enough.  NY, CA and NJ rank 1st, 2nd & 3rd in 'moving vans leaving the state'. 

UPDATE

Just when you thought it couldn't get more ridiculous in California, along comes this story about the California Air Resources Board proposal to tax utilities, refineries and other 'polluters' for their carbon emissions.  Of course, the Sierra Club has chimed in saying 'it's better to charge polluting industries than make taxpayers provide the funds.'  It makes you wonder if they have any idea that this tax will be passed on to the taxpayers from 'the polluters' in the form of new fees and higher prices.  Just another example of helping Person X at the expense of Person C, The Forgotten Man.  It would be unbelievable if it weren't the norm in California.