re: #357 Walter L. Newton

And of course, add the various levels of the European Union VAT taxes… mandatory tips… mandatory extra charges for certain services… need I go on?

There are so many taxing mechanisms in Europe that when you look at the WHOLE picture, it is much higher than most US tax rates.

Whatever. You can make numbers and statistics work any way you want. And besides, there are many establishments in the US with automatic gratuities, and tip percentages in Europe are far lower than in the States. And next time you file taxes, think about the complexity of the tax system in the States and how it is designed to overtax you simply through befuddlement.