New Yorkers are fleeing the state and city in alarming numbers — and costing a fortune in lost tax dollars, a new study shows.
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. 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. “The Empire State is being drained of an invaluable resource — people,” the report said. What’s worse is that the families fleeing New York are being replaced by lower-income newcomers, who consequently pay less in taxes.
Overall, the ex-New Yorkers earn about 13 percent more than those who moved into the state, the study found. And it should be no surprise that the city — and Manhattan in particular — suffered the biggest loss in terms of taxable income. The average Manhattan taxpayer who left the state earned $93,264 a year. The average newcomer to Manhattan earned only $72,726. That’s a difference of $20,538, the highest for any county in the state. Staten Island was second, with a $20,066 difference.
For the idiots who think we aren’t taxed enough… please, feel free to ante up.
In Norway, I pay more than 50% income tax. 25% VAT. 125% tax on petrol ($4.5/gallon), $25000,- in tax on a $25000,- car, etc etc.
And NO – we don’t have free health care. We don’t have free roads, we don’t have the worlds best schools.
Stop complaining, spoiled bratzzz.
E.J. McMahon, the director of the Manhattan Institute (author of the cited report), sounds like a Grover Norquist conservative. It’s not odd that he would draw the conclusions he did.
From a report on a panel on reforming the NY legislature at the Brennan center: “E.J. McMahon had what was perhaps the most provocative suggestion: turning the legislature into a “Citizen’s Legislature,” where the number of legislators was increased, the legislative calendar shortened to 30 days, and the position of Senator and Assemblyman turned into a part-time job.” Now just think for a minute- this is his idea for the state of New York. Would you trust the judgement of someone proposing this? And if so, why?
A great city, that could use a little more shoulder room, anyway.
#35 – sargasso,
Perhaps lack of shoulder room is what makes it great. Certainly, it helps to make it great environmentally, if only by U.S. standards. We still produce just 1/3 of the CO2 per capita of the rest of the U.S., even though the average for the rest of the U.S. includes us.
When people live stacked on top of each other, heating and cooling bills are lower. And, we have the best public transportation and lowest car ownership in the U.S.
Really though, the lecture circuits, the museums, the theaters, the food, etc., etc., etc., you’re just not going to get all of that without a dense and diverse population.
I will note that astute retirees are getting the heck out of high tax locations and going to where the living is easy and cheaper.
On the other hand the article was right. This is a big hunk of the tax base moving out because they found the location unattractive.
#31 is quite correct, the tax base is decreasing because people are moving out. The way the story is framed is BS.
Do any of you read the news? There was a little bother with banks recently. A ton of people who pumped/traded faulty mortgage paper got canned. These people tended to make a lot of money.
Lots of unemployed people mean that companies can offer lower compensation for similar jobs.
I’m waiting for a story that suggests that this year’s Ivy League students are dumber because the investment banks aren’t recruiting like they did a few years ago.
Didn’t the governor say he would have raised taxes sooner if he knew it meant Rush Limbaugh would leave the state?
Guess he didn’t realize so many others would be leaving with him.
It costs alot to run a police state/city.
#42, Alphie,
Why are you quoting someone democratically elected? You do prefer dictators.
… smart idea of Obama…run off the rich lest they invest in business and hire people…very smart.
I guess you think someone should hire you? What chair could hold your butt?
I read a lot of posts in this blog made by mindless individuals who are only interested in fixing political blame, meanwhile the problems go unsolved. No new perspectives, no intelligent proposals, just mindless bullshit. Just like the politicians they seem to be obsessing on. It’s not gonna be fun when the shitstorms begin, and these people are going to be a serious obstacle to getting things done when they do.
Interesting #44, please enlighten us. Care to share your solution?
New York had for 2007 a 6.85% top tax rate, vs 3% in Pennsylvania, 5.3% in Mass, 8.97% in NJ, 5.95% in Delaware, and 5.0% in Connecticut.
Then Paterson raised rates on the rich.
Mick Jagger said it best—
Don’t you know the crime rate is going up, up, up, up, up
To live in this town you must be tough, tough, tough, tough, tough!
You got rats on the west side
Bed bugs uptown
What a mess this town’s in tatters I’ve been shattered
My brain’s been battered, splattered all over Manhattan
Uh-huh, this town’s full of money grabbers
Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don’t mind the maggots…
Shadoobie, shattered, shattered.
#47 – amodedoma,
You haven’t been here since the 70s, have you? Things are quite a bit different now. We also have the lowest crime rate of any major city in the U.S.
But, don’t tell anyone. We’ve got enough new people moving in, despite this stupid NY Post article. Want to read about sports? Read the Post. Want to read news? Try the Times. The Times isn’t perfect, of course. But, the Post is a rag.