Oct 28, 2009

Escape from NY

If you tax them, they will flee

New Yorkers are fleeing the state and city in crazy numbers -- and costing a fortune in lost tax dollars. Surprise, surprise.

More than 1.5 million state residents LEFT for other parts of the United States from 2000 to 2008, according to the report from the Empire Center for New York State Policy. It was the biggest out-of-state migration in the country. That even dwarfs the exodus from Detroit.

The vast majority of the migrants, 1.1 million, were former residents of New York City -- meaning one out of seven city taxpayers moved out. 1 of 7!

"The Empire State is being drained of an invaluable resource -- people," the report said.

And it should be no surprise at all that the city -- and Manhattan in particular -- suffered the biggest loss in terms of taxable income.

Great work NY. Now in song, "if you can tax it there, they'll go somewhere... else."

Vote with you feet. Good policy since 1492.

3 comments:

Solent said...

New York State income tax is 6.85% on any income greater than $20,001. This is the HIGHEST tax bracket!! In Nova Scotia, I pay:

8.79% on the first $29,590 of taxable income, + 14.95% on the next $29,590, + 16.67% on the next $33,820 + 17.5% on the amount over $93,000

Canadian Federal taxes are of course higher as well. You guys have it pretty good down there (except for the healthcare thing).

Billy Beck said...

Try to understand this elementary principle of collectivist politics: you are not yours. Your life does not belong to you. You are a “resource” to be employed at the discretion of others, and if you don’t think so, then your only alternative is to uproot your life, leave your home and become a refugee in search of freedom. This is precisely the condition of those Europeans who abandoned their homes when America was once the only light of freedom in the world.

Now, there is nowhere to run to.

Cthulhu said...

There's Florida, Delaware, and New Hampshire. I did not vet myself as a source, but I have a strong feeling that each of these states does not have an income tax. I know that Delaware is a bit of a tax haven; if a fancy boat is ever US flagged, its home port is somewhere in Delaware.