The total tax burden (federal, state and local) on the American people today is the highest it's ever been -- the equivalent of 32% of the economy.

FORBES: Fact and Comment

Recent central-government efforts to reduce the tax burden on rural folk have left many local administrations even shorter of cash.

ECONOMIST: China: Chaos in the classrooms | The

Homeowners need to recognize that when they vote for a local bond deal or tax rate increase, the resulting financial debt burden may ultimately fall on their children.

FORBES: Cook County, Illinois Treasurer Warns U.S. Homeowners And Retirees Of Local Debt Hazards

In the past, the Supreme Court has ruled that the thousands of local tax jurisdictions across all the states would impose too great a burden on out of-state retailers who would have to comply with their varied codes.

CNN: Legislators debate proposals for e-commerce taxes

Truth is, America's tax burden--after you add up state and local and pile on the cost of complying with our buffoonish 54, 000-page tax code--is not much less than Europe's.

FORBES: Why We Need Startups

Chris Leslie, the former Labour MP who heads the New Local Government Network (NLGN), says "council tax is a real burden and it's becoming really unfair and outdated".

BBC: RELATED BBC SITES

State and local law makers have turned the energy industry into tax collectors and in the process increased the burden imposed on rate-payers.

FORBES: New York's Radical Energy Policy: Cut Taxes

But the government is not alone in believing that many local authorities could do more to ease the burden they place on hard-pressed council tax payers.

BBC: More local authorities look set to increase council tax