Tom, as you pointed out yourself, the OP asked what is the best place to live, and again, as you remarked, he should have perhaps been a bit clearer on his requirements.

We all have a different idea of what "best" means, agreed. But frankly I have a hard time understanding the animosity towards Treverus for wanting to live in a low tax jurisdiction. Why not?

You said "in most global standard of living surveys, tax efficiency doesn't rate in the top few variables". On paper, this might be true. But again, high standard of living may mean different things for different people.

In my case, just as an example (which is strictly personal and most definitely not applicable to everyone) - I like to walk to the office, I like to be able to walk home from the bar/club at all hours, I like to have a tram stop with multiple trams in front of my place, I like a park nearby, I like noise, I like all kinds of restaurants in my vicinity. I couldn't care less about the lake, or a playgroup, or other factors. We are all different, and we change our opinion in time as well.

I will tell you this for sure though: I pay my taxes and happily so (services to the community), but if instead of paying 100 I can pay 80, and use the 20 to go on a trip somewhere, or save, or make an investment, I would be foolish, and extremely irrational, not to do so. Hence I understand Treverus' argument.

His argument was that he was happy to live in a low tax area but readily help himself to those subsidised activities in the high-tax areas.

He kept ranting on that for him he was being noble and give, give, giving.

In my book, that's actually take, take taking.

He sees things in a different way to me. He's not right. He has a different view on this.

But your schools and culture projects don't have their children in them and they can pay for what they need. At least that is always the way people with lots on money that strongly object to paying taxes say over here. They keep forgetting that an educated and well informed populace is always better for a properly functioning democracy, no matter where in the world it is. Of course, I am starting to think that this may be the main reason that there is so much effort put into destroying public schools, but this may be more of a problem where I live, here in the "so called, good ol'" U S of A.

Just to make it clear for somebody who does not know Switzerland that well: Wollerau is not some defunct banana republic full of tax dodgers.

There are schools and they are not bad, but probably not as nice as some others. Yes, since I do not have kids can I not tell you details, but the school was next to my house and I can tell you that we are not talking about some US ghetto school... The city hall and community building was WAY more modern and the adminisitration WAY more efficient than in Zurich... you have the same local Migros as anywhere else and if somebody really thinks that using a supermarket in an industrial area that happens to belong to the next village is some sort of tax fraud... well, I think it isn't.

Proximity to the lake: I walked there in some ten minutes enjoying a great view on the way. At the end of this walk was I at Richterswil station which had a great train connection to Zurich, four times an hour. Yes, that station happens to be on the other side of the cantonal border. If using it makes me a parasite... Instead of walking could I take a great bus connection which took less than 5 minutes to the same station and was perfectly timed to the trains. This bus was financed through my taxes btw. So the public transport was just as good as anywhere else along the lake and any other claim is simply uninformed.

So all the "the low taxes ruined the place" talks are frankly wrong. The low taxes attracted new residents from the city who pay a low tax rate but thanks to their overall high income still flooded the towns wallet. You can discuss forever if the new, expensive and typically very modern glass and concrete villas along the lake are more ugly than the traditional farm houses. I for one always hated the Swiss taste for unpainted concrete but must admit that some of the designs in my town were simply awesome. I will never have a ten million CHF villa, but I have no problem with people who can afford them...

I did not say that Switzerland needed me, I said it benefitted from me living and working there. That is a simple financial equation and only the most xenophobic Swiss would not acknowledge that the high end immigration into Zurich and Geneva is a great thing for Switzerland. I don't care if that sounds arrogant to you, but I am simply talking about facts. I know that Swiss have a hard time admitting it, but the country needs immigrants to keep its standard of living. Especially well educated immigrants. Admitting it and being a bit more welcoming would make Switzerland a better place. Not just for the immigrants.

As I mentioned before am I a cosmopolitan - I live in a bi-national marriage, so we do not have one place we could call home. We will live where the job offers PLUS country factors offer us the best life. Thanks to being both well educated do we have a wide choice as most countries do in fact want us... so:

Yes, Switzerland does not need me but I honestly do not need Switzerland either. Hard to believe for a Swiss, but there are actually other nice places on the planet. So far do I mainly miss some friends which I more ofthen than not got to know through EF... hardly a very Swiss thing then.

I didn't read your exerp from "Mein Leben in Wollerau"...but I must say, that you sure seem to have a lot of time on your hand. You're in Singapore for "insert deity of your choice here" sake...why don't you make use of the opening hours there and let us miserables dwell on our Wolleraus, lack of choices and closed shops on Sundays.

I wrote this in my lunch break. I can go shopping till 22.00 and the mall is literally under the building I live in... so I am not in a hurry.

P.S: Supermarkets here suck just as bad as in Switzerland as there is a duopoly that reminds me very much of CH... but any other form of shopping is incredible.