The "no income tax" pitch is one of the great political cons of our time. Working-class Texans pay MORE in taxes than their California counterparts. Middle class breaks roughly even. The only people who actually win are the wealthy, who pay significantly less. The mechanism is simple: no income tax gets replaced by brutal property taxes and regressive sales taxes, which hit lower earners hardest. The rich own assets, not wages, so they come out ahead. Everyone else gets told they're living in a low-tax paradise while getting fleeced.