When I left the UK I was paying 42% tax on anything earned over 28K! ($42K) That is excluding the social security equivelant (National Insurance).
Top that with a 17.5% sales tax and the fact that 99% of your gas/petrol is tax, or how about being penalized for having a mortgage or being married, but you get the picture.
Don't even get me started on the whole illegal immigrant thing.....