It's truly amazing.

My current rural property tax breakdown (and the total bill equals per month about the same amount our [very conservative] mortgage was, up till about 17 years ago):

Schools 40%

State 21%

Fire dist 20%

County 8%

County roads 7%

Paramedic 3%

Library 2%

Other state 1%

These are all permastate budgets/workers/managers. The only time they come into our rural communities is to harass us for whatever they can get away with.

The "county roads" item isn't building roads...it's running the frost and snow trucks, when we need that...maybe. Probably also running those hideous machines that turn our lovely green roadsides into explosions of destroyed vegetation up to 15 or more feet from the ground.

This is nothing other than a scheme to use constantly inflated property valuations to redistribute increasing amounts of homeowners' income to those who produce NOTHING...but more opportunities for redistribution. It sustains an enormous cadre of government employees who exist for no other reason than to punish the productive and deliver votes to the permastate.

Then there's all the other government taxes we pay, as you note. Sales tax here is 12% or more depending where you shop (total of state, county, city, plus special assessments for whatever they add). Gas tax. Telcoms tax. Utilities taxes. And on. And on.

All on top of federal income tax. And state income tax, where those exist.

We work for THEM, and they are not in the least beholden to us to deliver ANY services, even where they claim to deliver any.