By New York Post (Opinion) | Created at 2024-11-17 11:35:53 | Updated at 2024-11-23 12:31:15
6 days ago
The Lower Manhattan skyline and the World Trade Center seen from Jersey City, NJ on Oct. 12, 2024.
Christopher Sadowski
Massive shrinkage.
That’s the dire prognosis for New York’s population if trends keep up, a shocking new study warns.
If Albany can’t rein in its progressive misgovernment, the state will soon find itself a shadow of its former self.
Cornell University researchers project a drop of possibly 2 million people — or more! — over the next 25 years, whittling the total from 19.7 million to less than 17 million.
The researchers cite the failure of enough newcomers to offset lower birth rates and deaths: “Domestic migration flows are the biggest driver of population change in New York.”
The consequences for the state are grim:
* A loss of seats in Congress, meaning less influence over federal policy affecting New York.
* Less federal funding based on population.
* A blow to businesses and jobs.
* Plunging tax revenue for the city and state.
And all this follows steady net out-migration that’s plagued the state for decades.
Back in the ’40s, recall, New York’s share of the national population translated to 45 seats in the House; today it’s just 26 — with a good chance of dropping to 23 after the 2030 Census.
During COVID, from April 2020 to July 2022, New York City alone lost nearly half a million people, or 5.3% of its inhabitants, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli reported.
Some returned but others are gone for good.
Meanwhile, Florida and Texas grew during that time, as did the nation as a whole.
Why is New York losing ground?
Simple: Progressives keep boosting taxes and letting crime and lawlessness run rampant.
Public schools here fail to teach kids what they need to know.
On Thursday, Gov. Hochul announced plans to resurrect congestion pricing — a regressive, multibillion-dollar tax on Midtown Manhattan motorists.
That follows a $1.1 billion tax hike a couple of years ago and $4 billion hit in 2021.
Meanwhile, felonies remain up about a third over pre-pandemic levels.
Sprawled-out druggies plaster the streets.
Migrant thugs run free.
And though New York spends far more per student than any other state, only about half the kids in third through eighth grades were deemed “proficient” on standardized tests, per data released Thursday.
The progressive agenda is clearly a repellant.
If it’s not tamed soon, it could spell the death of New York.
