Thursday, October 1, 2026
Once upon a time there was a state that was the envy of the world.
It had the busiest ports, rich natural resources, a booming economy, and steady jobs that allowed people to build stable lives. It was a place where hard work paid off. Families bought homes, sent their kids to college and built retirement savings. For generations it was the epicenter of the American dream. That state was New York.
That may sound like a fairy tale, but it was real. I know it because I lived it. My immigrant parents came here with very little and somehow built a beautiful life for their children.
Our state was once the center of the universe economically, culturally and politically. Today the opposite is true. Costs have skyrocketed nonstop for years, families feel the burden of taxes and utilities, and the state that once led the nation is losing ground.
I can’t tell you how many young couples tell me their tales of woe as they buy their first home. In many cases they’re paying nearly a million dollars for a starter home with one bathroom on a 40-by-100-foot lot. They’ll make countless sacrifices and work countless hours away from their family to own this home. How did we leave our children this mess?
Well, it didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t an accident. It is the direct result of deliberate and foolish decisions made in Albany year after year.
When policies fail to produce growth, the result is predictable: People move, and our state loses both population and influence. That should be a wake-up call. New York leads the nation in out-migration, with more people leaving than are moving in.
Retirees are relocating to stretch their savings. Young families are choosing states where housing is more affordable and the tax burden is lower. Businesses are expanding elsewhere, taking jobs and opportunity with them. New York has already lost one congressional seat. If these trends continue, it is projected to lose as many as two more after the 2030 census, further reducing its national influence.
And here’s the little secret they don’t want you to know: It’s all because Albany bureaucrats are spending like sailors on shore leave. In 2018, New York’s budget was roughly $170 billion — already an enormous amount. Today it’s nearly $270 billion. That’s a staggering increase for so short a time.
New York spends more than countries like Ireland, Hungary, New Zealand and Peru. With that level of spending, you’d expect to see noticeable improvements in your daily life. But that’s not even remotely true. Roads are crumbling, infrastructure is in decay, the electrical grid can’t meet demand, and our public transportation system is in constant crisis.
You’re left to wonder, where does all that money go? One thing’s for sure: It’s gone and it’s not coming back. In Gov. Kathy Hochul’s New York, there is no end in sight. I am routinely shocked and even offended by her budget’s reckless approach.
Government spending doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every dollar spent by the state comes out of someone’s pocket. An average New York family of four loses tens of thousands of dollars annually to unchecked government spending. That’s money taken out of the local economy that could have been spent on groceries, child care or any number of household expenses. Who knows? Maybe even a vacation for you and your kids.
And that’s too bad, because we know that economic growth doesn’t come from government spending; rather, it comes from the private sector. Government’s job is to create the conditions for that growth: reasonable taxes, responsible spending, reliable infrastructure, and regulations that protect the public without stifling opportunity. It’s not rocket science.
It is absurd to believe we can spend ourselves into prosperity. Trying to restore affordability by spending more is like trying to get out of debt with your credit card — it only makes things worse.
The only practical approach is to control spending and let people keep more of what they earn. That’s what fuels personal spending, which always results in business growth and job creation. It’s been the same formula in this country for 250 years, and it’s working right now in other states. You know it. I know it. But the governor must have failed that class.
Jack Martins represents the 7th State Senate District.
