Massachusetts sees $4.2 billion lost as residents flee tax increases. NY governor Hochul calls her states migrating residents “un-patriotic.”

Photo below – Governor Hochul says NY residents have a patriotic duty to remain and pay a 14% income tax rate. She says plan B could be to "go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home, because our tax has been eroded."

Come on Taxachusetts, you can’t be THAT dumb. You doubled the state income tax rate on some residents to 9%, and then act surprised when a bunch move away? Probably best not to copy what’s going on in New York though. Governor Hochul surrounded herself with American flags, and called paying 14% (state & local) income “patriotic”. She really said this. (See links below.)

The problem in NY is only going to worse – and fast. New York mayor Mamdani has big plans for higher property taxes and all sorts of surcharges. California is readying a 5% “wealth tax”. The state will take 5% of your savings and investments if they think you earn too much. A vote will be held later this year. The money grab is cleverly positioned as retroactive, so moving after election day won’t save you. This is what’s known as an ex-post facto law, and I’m sure the Supreme Court will quickly make space on its docket to hear arguments to overturn it.

Where are all these people moving too? Entertainers, franchise team players, team owners, business owners, tech moguls? It’s not just Florida. There's also Tennessee, Montana, Wyoming, and any other place with tax rates below 5% and safe schools, Work from home – a covid 19 lockdown brainstorm – has boomeranged into an accelerating population migration.

In addition snarking that migrants are Florida traitors, a number of other measures are being considered by some states to close the tax vs spending gap. Raising taxes on middle income workers. Higher property taxes. Changing the state constitution to allow budget deficits. Exit fees (like a toll booth?). Confiscating part of a professional athlete's paycheck when they come to town to play an away game.

About the only thing NOT under consideration is getting voters involved in deciding which state spending is essential, and what part is superfluous crap. That's because spending billions on superfluous crap is how politicians corral single issue voters at the polls on election day.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

Massachusetts loses billions in income after millionaire tax

From 'jump on a bus' to tax crackdowns: Blue states chase wealthy residents fleeing to red havens