HAA question?  

Sorry "bro," but my experience was different.  Live in Phoenix and worked in LA doing the Oil and Gas thing straight out of the Army.  I didn't pay a dime in LA state income tax, but did pay AZ income tax.  Went to work doing EMS in CA and had to pay those thieves too!

BTW, got a ATPH and went to overseas.  Made a very decent income.  Unlike my european coworkers, I had to pay federal income tax even though I worked and lived (on a foreign resident visa) out of the country.  They did not!

I'm not complaining (too much!) because I was able to take advantage of the USA Tax Code's Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Housing Allowance to cut my taxable income significantly.  I still payed tens of thousands of dollars in tax, but it could have been a lot worse!  Oh, and I put that $ into a mutual fund that was doing pretty good, and the interest I earned every year was like a discount on my taxes.  A good tax accountant is worth their weight in gold!