In an August speech, New York Governor Kathy Hochul told conservatives to get out of New York! “Just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong, OK?” she said. “You are not New Yorkers.” Many on the right have listened and now, New York may be in financial trouble.
According to Florida Jolt, A total of 5,838 New Yorkers swapped their Driver’s licenses for Florida plates in August. The numbers show this is the highest recorded number of swaps for a single month. The New York Post conducted an analysis that concludes 41,885 New Yorkers have already handed over their licenses this year after moving south. If the pace holds, it will set a new annual record. This will be great for the economy of Florida, but the financial impact on New York state could be extremely devastating.
New York, home to a reported 5.4 million conservatives, has lost 1.5 million residents in the past decade. Of those residents fleeing, 45,000 of them moved to Florida between 2019 and 2020. When a state loses that much of its population, there’s likely to be widespread economic consequences.
The state has some of the highest tax rates in the nation, staggering crime rates, and is becoming less attractive to residents by the day. Instead of telling people to leave, the governor should be enacting policies that solve the problems causing people to leave in the first place.
Contrast New York with Florida, where businesses are flourishing, safety is a top priority, law enforcement officials are welcome with open arms, and there is no state income tax. Anyone with a modicum of mobility would be a fool not to take Governor Hochul’s advice and hit the road for Florida.
