Jack Martins: Can anyone still make it here?

Frank Sinatra sang, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.”

Most of us know those words by heart. For generations, New York was where you came to build a life. As the song suggests, it certainly wasn’t easy, but if you were willing to put in the work, New York afforded you more opportunity than virtually any other place in the world.

My own parents, immigrants from Portugal, came here with little in their pockets, but managed to start a business, buy a home, and create a beautiful life for their five children.

Today the question many New York families are asking is whether the next generation will have that same chance. Perhaps if he were alive today, Ol’ Blue Eyes would wonder: Can anyone still make it here? The truth is that many New Yorkers feel like they’re doing everything right and are still falling behind.

The New York we grew up in was built by the middle class. Teachers, police officers, nurses and tradesmen could afford not only to live here, but to thrive. The American Dream was within their reach.

But that is no longer the case. Today the middle class is under tremendous pressure. Everything costs more — housing, property taxes, utility bills, insurance, groceries, and the list goes on. Yet every year, Albany comes up with new ways to make life more expensive for New Yorkers.

The government’s approach is always the same: spend more money. But government doesn’t have any money of its own. It’s all yours — every penny. Every dollar Albany spends comes out of the pocket of someone who earned it.

What makes this even more troubling is that the state budget has exploded in recent years. Over the past eight years, state spending has increased by roughly $100 billion. Think about that for a moment. Albany is spending about $100 billion more today than it was less than a decade ago.

The obvious question is, what do New Yorkers have to show for it?

Are our roads any better? Are bridges in better condition? Are there fewer breakdowns on the Long Island Rail Road? Are neighborhoods safer? Is life more affordable?

The answer is a resounding no. In fact, despite record levels of government spending, our quality of life continues to decline.

New Yorkers are right to ask where all this money is going. When families spend more, they expect to see results. Taxpayers should expect the same from their government. Spending more isn’t an accomplishment in and of itself. The real measure of success is whether government delivers better services, stronger communities and a better quality of life for the people footing the bill.

For many, the verdict is already in. They’re fed up with the state picking their pockets and are making a choice that would have been unthinkable for previous generations: They’re leaving — at an alarming rate. On average, a New Yorker leaves the state every two and a half minutes. In the time it takes you to read this, several more people will have packed their bags.

These aren’t just numbers; they’re members of our communities. They’re friends, our children, and with them, our grandchildren. They’re people who love New York but can no longer afford to stay.

For many of us, one of the best parts of living on Long Island was being close to family — grandparents living down the block, Sunday family dinners, birthdays and barbecues. More and more, those experiences are disappearing. Young people are moving to Florida, Texas and other states where life is more affordable, and families are paying the price. 

Every time that happens, New York loses a little piece of itself.

Albany’s first priority shouldn’t be finding new ways to spend your money. It should be proving that the billions it already spends are producing real results for taxpayers. The measure of success shouldn’t be how much the government spends. It should be whether people can afford to live here.

Because if our children and grandchildren can’t afford to build their futures in New York, then nothing else matters.

The question Albany should be asking is simple: Can anyone still afford New York? Until the answer is an unequivocal yes, our work is not done.

Jack Martins represents the 7th State Senate District.