If I Had a Tooth With That Nerve ...

In the state of New York there has been, and still is, a mass

exodus of high earners leaving for states with much lower 

tax rates, and fewer taxes as well. Income taxes, sales taxes,

taxes for this, that, and the other have gone on a rocket ride

in recent years. In that period of time these financially 

successful people, wanting to protect their considerable fruits

of their industry, have spoken out against the state government

of New York railing against their frequently being assessed 

more and higher taxes; after all, they had worked long and 

hard to amass their rewards of their work. 

Katherine Hochul has been governor of New York in recent 

years, and has targeted these industrious citizens of this state

unrelentingly. Her response to these fed up businesspeople?

"Just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you 

belong, OK? Get out of town!" Florida is also a very low-tax

state. and in fact has no state income tax. The exodus, already

underway, had picked up steam in the wake of her arrogant 

words. So many big earners have fled the Empire State for

Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and other states 

with less rapacious taxation of individuals and businesses

that Gov. Hochul can no longer fund her state's social programs

as easily as she once could. "Maybe the first step should be to 

go down to Palm Beach and see who you could bring back home (!)."

It's hard, of course, to find what Gov. Hochul calls "patriotic

millionaires" who would return to New York to once again pay

the costs for the burgeoning social giveaway social programs

there (!!). 

Now folks, I have been a follower of our political scene for sixty

years --- man and boy. I have followed the news about the political

movers and shakers at all levels of government. I met some of 

these people, from school board members to a Vice President of

the United States. I have read about some eyebrow-raising, and to

be sure, some blood pressure-increasing things that some of these 

people have said or done. I have seen acts and have read and heard 

words of sheer arrogance, thoughtlessness, stupidity, cowardice,

double-dealing, hypocrisy, and vapidity. But what Gov. Hochul 

had said to the wealthy escapees, especially the pleading for them

to return to New York, wallets open, to "patriotically" give up a

large portion of their rightful earnings to fund her giveaway programs

is the all-time prize winner! How would you, my grand readers, each 

like to have a tooth with her nerve?

Must we now go over what the differences are between successful folk 

keeping more of their hard-earned rewards of their hard work, and a

greedy, grasping, grabbing, gobbling government which claims to 

know how best to allocate the tax revenue which comes in at an 

ever-increasing flow every year? The efficiencies of the former in 

job creation and career opportunities, and the resultant creation of 

new sources of revenue from an increase of employment and in 

the provision of goods and services, and a stagnated economy in 

which there are fewer employers and employees resulting in 

less goods and services provided while the government picks up 

more and more employees whose pay and benefits come from the 

tax revenues from the private sector despite its shrunken state and 

weakened shape, causing a slowing economic state of being all around?

These are things which half-wit Hochul has either forgotten or has 

never learned.

And her warping the meaning of the word "patriotic" to fit her selfish, 

short-sightened ends aren't aiding her sorry cause. She should learn  

what it means to be truly patriotic. Your helpful Peasant can assist 

Hochul here:

"Patriotism: The feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to 

one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of dif- 

ferent feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and 

its cultural, political, or historical aspects."      Wikipedia

Notice that there is no mention of the urge to let the government take 

a significant portion of one's earnings. Furthermore, bear in mind that 

the top 1% of income earners already pay anywhere from 40% - 50%  

of the federal income taxes; they don't need to be mugged again by 

their home states. 

Finally, if anyone actually believes that the love or devotion 

for one's country or state includes wanting to let its government tax 

one into oblivion is a form of patriotism then that person is a prize fool!

MEM