A couple of misconceptions.
1. Regarding new zealand real estate I think it depends where you look, i know if you do a basic online search they will show you the most expensive listings first. I got the same impression when I looked up real estate in australia, but I soon realized I could get good deals by the ocean if I looked in different areas. (haven’t acted on that yet)
2. The reason we sell bags at stores is so that people will reuse bags. This is done with recycling in mind. One of the things that blows me away when visiting other countries, nevada specifically, is how little recycling is done. It doesn’t matter how great an economy is if you dont take care of earth first. Canada has a lot to improve on in this area such as reducing clear cutting but when it comes to recycling we are finally learning.
3. The reason we have high taxes is not because of free health care. The US government could easily afford to offer free healthcare if it wasn’t in bed with pharmaceutical companies. It would also help if 50% of the budget didn’t go towards ‘defense’. The reason our taxes are high is because of the national debt. More money goes towards paying the debt than health care. We also had a huge surplus last year. Taxes could easily be in line with Nevada taxes if it wasn’t for this debt. Also, our pharmaceuticals have price control, this means that if I need an antibiotic it will cost me probably $30 versus $300.
4. Yes we have problems with waiting lists, but this is due to mismanagement.
Every country has problems, the difference is some countries are attempting to improve things. I am in no way claiming that Canada is perfect, I am the first person to reproach Canada. Look at my posts concerning the Canadian Seal Hunt. I also dont like Canada because I hate the cold. But if you live in California right now you are probably paying a similar tax rate as I am. The reason I am still in Alberta Canada is because this province has the lowest tax rate anywhere in Canada. Like the USA how much you pay is dependant on the state/province you are in.
Anyway, I dont want to turn this into one country is better than another. I’m simply saying that I believe that if you are living in the states you should consider moving, this is especially true if you are earning 6 figures a year.