High taxes and cost-of-living have hurt the state’s economy. The tax system renders the state inhospitable to businesses and uncompetitive with other states—particularly with neighboring New York and Pennsylvania. Consequently, economic and job growth are weak and significantly underperform both the nation and New York and Pennsylvania. Businesses, taxpayers, and most ominously, young adults are emigrating to more favorable states. Reform and economic growth are the only way out of this fiscal hole, but our special-interest-dominated political system allows for neither.