New York state once again ranks as the “least free” state in the United States, as a new Cato Institute report reveals problems The Post has long reported.
Cato Libertarians rank the Empire State last, at 50th, for policies that impact the economy, society and the economy. and personal freedoms, and even when making slight gains (for marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform), Albany clearly screwed up.
“The combined taxes, state and local, are overwhelming. The debt has decreased compared to previous years, but is still the highest in the country, at 26.1 percent of income,” the report states.
It’s no surprise that the state is seeing a huge exodus to Florida (number two in freedom, behind New Hampshire and first in economic freedom), and that Miami now appears a credible threat to displace Gotham as the nation’s financial capital.
New York’s endlessly burdensome state regulations also scare away businesses (and jobs, and people), and its increasing green “climate” standards will skyrocket energy costs and further degrade the state’s livability.
Heck, even in areas where Cato’s libertarians credited the Empire State with making progress, Albany screwed things up:
- His criminal justice “reforms” protect some innocents from excessive law enforcement, but at the price of fueling violent crime and encouraging gangs to recruit teenagers.
Shoplifting, sex trafficking, and recidivism are on the rise.
- Marijuana legalization failed, fostering a massive gray market of illicit pot shops that plagues countless neighborhoods. and attract crime.
No wonder the report’s authors label New York “objectively the worst state in America.”
In fact, the Empire State has ranked last in all of Cato’s “freedom” studies since they began in 2000, and it’s a safe bet to remain in the basement unless and until voters finally opt for a “change of regime” in Albany.
