Kathy Hochul Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
New York’s politicians seem to be taking an “if I can fake it there, I’ll fake it anywhere” approach to governance as they repeatedly demonstrate they are out of touch with the people. Yet another survey reveals the state’s leaders are prioritizing issues that are not even on the radar for everyday folks who are growing increasingly fed up with having their wishes ignored. But this reality has not kept Democratic politicians from painting a happy picture of the situation.
A recent Siena College poll showed New Yorkers are at serious odds with their state and local governments when it comes to the top issues they are facing. Of course, crime was the number one issue among 24% of residents. With the increased rate of violent offenses over the past two years, this is about as surprising as CNN+ going the way of the Titanic.
However, the other key issues included the economy, taxes, government ethics, and inflation. To put it simply, these folks are concerned about their pocketbooks and doing away with disgraced politicians like former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. But even on issues that are not major priorities, New Yorkers take a remarkably different viewpoint from their leaders. For example, about 73% of respondents indicated they wished to see an end to the 16-cent gas tax. This number included 80% of Democratic voters. However, the state’s leadership seems to believe that breaking the car culture is the proper way to proceed.
The survey also had some bad news for Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose approval ratings have fallen drastically since she took office. The Buffalo Bills stadium financing deal, which she championed, only has support from a quarter of participants.
Kathy Hochul (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Criminal justice is also an issue on which New York’s Democrat elite has failed to read the room. Back in 2018, about two-thirds of New Yorkers supported the idea of eliminating cash bail for misdemeanors and some felonies. However, support for the idea dropped to about 37%. Nevertheless, Democrats persisted in keeping the measures in place, which has resulted in violent criminals being released shortly after arrest. While New York City Mayor Eric Adams has vowed to crack down on crime, the woke district attorneys who are more concerned with protecting criminals than civilians are actively working against that agenda.
However, none of this kept the mayor from posting a tweet that should win the award for “Most Tone-Deaf Tweet of the Month.” He wrote: “There are only two types of Americans: those who live in New York, and those who wish they could. We got this.”
The response from other users was predictable. Christina Pushaw, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, wrote: “Tell that to all the New Yorkers who are fleeing to Miami because your city is a dumpster fire.”
Author and filmmaker Mike Cernovich also chimed in: “Nope. Used to be seen as a great accomplishment to be able to ‘make it’ in New York. Now it shows a lack of vision. Keep living in fear of a germ while your city is infested with herpes, crime, and [rat emoji].”
What makes Adams’ statement even more comical is the reality that New Yorkers are fleeing the state like President Joe Biden flees interviews. Between July 2020 and July 2021, 319,020 residents left the state, according to the US Census Bureau. Most of these individuals headed to Texas and Florida. Perhaps they realized good BBQ and no income taxes are preferable to dodging bullets on a daily basis.
Will New York Democrats finally get it – or will they continue pushing for policy nobody wants? Given what the party has shown on the national stage, it seems likely their plan is stuck on repeat for the time being.
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