New York is bleeding people, and the numbers from a fresh Marist poll make it clear why. Nearly half of likely voters say they are worse off financially than they were just a year ago. With 86% of residents saying the state is no longer affordable for an average family, the exodus is accelerating. Moving away within the next five years is now the plan for a third of the population, marking a sharp jump from 27% back in 2011.
While families struggle, the political class in Albany and City Hall seems determined to raise the cost of living even higher. Gov. Kathy Hochul is already signaling tax hikes next year to fund Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s agenda. This comes despite Hochul breaking her own “no tax hikes” vow earlier this year to support a new tax on pied-Ã -terres. The state is drowning in debt, with a looming $32 billion budget hole that demands painful choices.
The GOP Abandonment of New York
The political vacuum on the right has made this mess worse. Letters to the editor in the New York Post highlight a critical failure by the state Republican Party. According to a reader named David Levine, the GOP “makes little effort to recruit institutional support,” leaving voters with no real choice in general elections. During the 1960s, roughly 35% of New York City voters belonged to the GOP, while Republicans fielded candidates across all districts. That grassroots structure has collapsed, allowing Democrats to dominate without opposition.
Levine argues that politics must start from the bottom and rise up. Without local Republicans attempting that battle plan, the party will remain irrelevant in the Empire State. The lack of quality candidates means voters are stuck with a one-party system that has no incentive to fix the crumbling infrastructure or rising taxes.
Young Men Losing Faith in the System
The economic pressure is also crushing the spirit of the next generation. A reader named Brian Kelly cites Rikki Schlott’s recent column to point out that the central problem of young men “losing faith in just about everything” stems from the stress to consume. When truth is measured mostly in currency, it constricts the imagination and traps people in self-interest.
Statistics from Schlott show that 91% of young Americans think “the country is on the wrong track.” This isn’t just a feeling; it’s a reaction to a system that rewards greed and punishes hard work. According to reports, this neglect empowers those in charge to act without restraint, leaving young people without any idea of the proper path for the nation.
Double Standards on Billionaires
The hypocrisy of the current administration extends to how it treats wealthy donors. Observers highlight that when billionaires such as George Soros and Michael Bloomberg spend their wealth to sway public opinion, Democrats never charge them with endangering democracy. Yet, the same politicians attack Elon Musk with fierce rhetoric.
As one letter writer noted, “Dems get sick ‘trill’ by going after Elon,” while ignoring the massive influence of their own allies. There was a time when Democrats loved Musk, giving him every government contract he wanted. Now that he has shifted his focus, the party turns on him. This selective outrage shows that the real issue isn’t money in politics, but who controls the money.
The state of New York is at a breaking point. With spending rising to an all-time high of $269 billion and the top 1% of earners paying 46% of state income taxes, the wealthy are fleeing. The middle class is following suit. Unless the leadership in Albany and City Hall stops trying to soak the rich and starts cutting waste, the Empire State will continue its long-term decline.
This is opinion and commentary from the RapForMayor team.
