Author: Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall Street

The government generates revenue from sources like income and employment taxes and redistributes it based on need. And not all states benefit equally.

Because income tax is an important and reliable revenue source, the states with no income tax make up for the lost potential revenue in other ways.

Americans are more likely to pay with a credit card than with cash than ever before, and that’s adding up to a lot of debt.

The violent crime rate is a measure of the number of murders, robberies, rapesand aggravated assaults for every 100,000 people in a given year.

While nationwide economic growth should come as welcome news to every American, many are not benefitting at the local level.

As local industries report growing output, revenue of small businesses increases, which in turn can spur wage and employment growth.

In parts of the country with higher costs of living, $200,000 is only enough to buy a home the size of a studio apartment – or less.

For the first time ever, total Valentine’s Day spending is projected to top $20 billion in the United States –despite falling participation.

Property taxes, the single largest revenue source for local governments, are ratified, collectedand spent almost entirely at the municipal level.