General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why do we work harder than Germans? [View all]hfojvt
(37,573 posts)a few months ago I had 70 days of sick leave. I earn 12 days a year, and it accumulates. I earn 3 weeks of vacation a year, although I am not sure if I have ever taken that much.
Most teachers in the US get the whole summer off.
I think housing costs are higher in Europe. Seems like I saw more apartments there, but I didn't see any slum-type housing either, like mobile home parks.
As for public transport, we have some of that, but Americans generally don't like it. The last thng a middle class American wants to do is sit on a bus next to some grimy working class person or member of the lumpenproletariat. It's also far easier to get mugged or assaulted on a public transport, so we prefer the 'freedom' of having our own automobile. It's a costly thing, but you will take their cars away when you pry their cold, dead hands off of the steering wheel.
A tax burden of 36% seems high to me. I recently read an article that figured a famiily making $50,000 had a tax burden of only 24%.
That may be low if you figure that health care costs should be added to the tax burden since your taxes also pay for your healthcare.
I thought though, that Scandanavia had higher per capita GDP than the USA which is higher than the BRD's.