I remember when Bloomberg was running for Mayor people felt that since he was an extremely successful businessman (and for that I applaud him), he would do a good job at running the government. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t a successful businessman one who grows his customer base—or, in the very least, maintains the customer base he has?

TAX REFUGEES STAGING ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK

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 [emphasis mine] — meaning one out of seven city taxpayers moved out. 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.

Of course, being a borderline pacifist myself, and having read Ludwig Von Mises’s Socialism, I believe that any economic distortions brought on by a government that helps bring it down is the most peaceful and effective way of bringing about change. It worked in the former Soviet Union. It will work anywhere. Economic laws are universal. (I believe I said that in an earlier blog today.  That’s okay—it always bears repeating.)

[Thanks to Travis Holte]
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*The long-defunct National Airlines had a TV ad slogan, “Is this any way to run an airline? You bet it is!”