Why?  Because we might actually love where we live.

Knowing that the market in which I reside has a number of different levels, I have had to find a comfortable place where I can offer a unique blend of my service and pricing, all the while understanding the built in handicap based on location.  To do so, I must assemble all of the variables of cost and those logistics.  As a business which attempts to make a profit, my formula is something like this:  

The customer COST of [Service Level + Product  Value] minus the business COST of [Product + Employees + Habitation + Government] is what the business owner expects to receive as compensation for his or her efforts.  

Assume the owner of a business has determined that $2 is what is needed to make it worthwhile to run a business, then a given "static" business cost would allow the business owner to manipulate the customer cost element to meet the desires of the customers.  If the [service level has a value of $15, The Product $35, ] the customer COST of the product is $50. Providing the [Product replacement of $34, Employees $7, Habitation $3, Government $4] then leaves the business owner with $2 as compensation.  

An adjustment to the product replacement is often reflected across the board, and all other competitors will likely see the same adjustment, which is usually seen in the end price, or the Customer Cost, but may also be seen in an adjustment of service level to keep the cost the same. The VALUE of the product is eventually revealed in the market's desire for that product, and the competitive nature of the businesses will usually provide a decent balance, or.. then the businesses fail, which they should.  

Increases in Employee and Habitation costs also affects the balance, but are often decided on merit.  If your business location serves you well, and makes you efficient, its worth a little more investment.  If your employees are hard working, they deserve to be paid more as they accomplish more than those who are less productive.  Ultimately however, these costs offset themselves, and may in fact provide a unique competitive element, giving your business an edge in a free market unhampered by external (government) mandates.

You pay more, you sometimes get more ..as the theory goes.  I have certainly tried to do so in my endeavors.  It is certainly worthy of a few more paragraphs which essentially could be a reasonable economics lesson. Unfortunately, business is not only dealing with the "natural" forces in a free market manner.

Because after all... there is still government   tying our hands..

Government which has at its helm people who have little concept of the balances business must make when allocating resources.  Government which while allowing itself to be manipulated by the certain business lobbies, effectively steals from its support system, handing over revenues collected to "encourage growth" of the industries those lobbies represent.  The ever growing "philanthropic" generosity of the state must be funded.  Revenues must be ultimately raised from those who are not deemed worthy to receive the same consideration.

In the meantime, businesses which see their taxes increased, can see that this unnatural collection of revenue must be taken from replacement of the product, the Employees, degrading of the location situated, or the owner loses too much, and eventually decides it is not worth it, or simply cannot afford to remain in business.

Government provides NOTHING to replace the value of increasing what it takes.  It doesn't make the product cost less, it likely even raises the rent because the landlord is a business too.  In fact, because  of employee "protections" enforced, properly negotiating a "sharing of the pain" becomes too difficult as well.

Often, to remain competitive, the last resort left to the business is to find a way to "escape" the influence and cost of government interference.  Some manufacturers have done so by moving their factories overseas. Some have closed up shop altogether.  And while the "tax burden is higher" in some other places, (a claim often used to defend further increases) it is only PART of the decision set when true entrepreneurial desire seeks to find a place to settle.  The intrusive and manipulative nature of a government, whether state, federal or even locally usually has more of an impact.

Competition is best served by the absence of people who do not have a personal stake in any enterprise. If a product is good, has value to enough people it will sell itself eventually settling on a price that is agreeable to the buyer and seller.  If the seller cannot make enough for its survival it fails.