I'm the type of person who has always been proud to pay his income taxes.

[Lifeafter70]

12. Every year we owe about 2k in Federal taxes

And we have the max withheld from our checks. Our combined gross income each year is around 75k.

Occasional a customer will complain about paying taxes while I'm ringing up their groceries. I always let them know that I don't mind paying and why. That usually stops their complaining.

There was one young lady who had recently moved back to California from Georgia, complaining about the high cost of food and taxes. I let her know while many other states (including Georgia) taxed groceries California did not. She insisted I was wrong. I showed her the register tape, which had no taxes on her food Items. Her reply was "well they used". Nope not in the my 73 years.

Edited to add: california did try to tax candy and soda and that failed. They do tax prepared "hot deli food" it is considered convience food similar to eating at a restaurant.