Well then you are left with a few choices. Your Federal Tax Rate probably isn't going to change anytime soon and compared to the rest of the world at your income, the tax rate would be about 10 points higher, so you should take solace in that. Your choices:
1.) Take a different job.
2.) Makes sacrifices so you can live on $30,000 a year.
3.) Work more hours at your current job assuming you are allowed.
4.) Retrain yourself so you can get a second job.
5.) Bitch about it and do nothing.
Regardless even if the high tax rate goes up (which is likely) your tax rate isn't going down (if only possibly by the inflation adjusted bracket and your wages are stagnant).
1) I've been applying for jobs for about 7 months.
2) There's nothing to sacrifice. I moved to the other side of the island to pay cheaper rent ($850), I don't have a phone payment, I don't have a car payment... Just utilities, gas, food, and interest on student loans and credit cards. Try living in Hawaii on $2080/month.
3) I can't work more hours unless there's some kind of emergency that requires extra work like a hurricane or tsunami.
4) How would I retrain myself? I bought an AutoCAD for Dummies book and started learning it, but my trial ran out. Even if I did teach myself CAD, employers want real training and usually experience.
I have a second job doing GIS for a surveying company, but it's been 2 months and I've gotten zero work. The last I heard, they got a Navy contract, but I haven't gotten any work except giving them input on the project before bidding. Because of the scope of another project they were bidding on, I told them they needed a GIS analyst, so they hired some guy on the mainland to work remotely. Well, they never got that contract, but they still have that guy so they may be giving him all the work I'd have gotten. Guess that's what I get for doing the right thing.
5) Well there's nothing I can do about the amount of taxes I pay except bitch... And I'm sick and tired about hearing how I don't pay any taxes and I'm a deadbeat 47%er and that only the rich are worthwhile members of society.