Letter to the Honorable Kevin Cahill (D-Ulster County) Re A05498

The Honorable Kevin Cahill

New York State Assembly

LOB 716

Albany, NY 12248

Dear Mr. Cahill:

I urge you to support A05498, a bill that will, when passed, divide New York into three autonomous regions: upstate, New York City, and the suburbs of New York City.  It proposes regional governors and legislators, and it limits statewide taxation to a sales tax. It also proposes that state court and prison systems be separated. 

In an emailed press release, the Divide NYS Caucus Inc. says that under the bill a token New York State government will remain, with most taxing power transferred to regional governments. About three-fourths of state laws will become regional laws. Each region will have its own legislature and regional governor. 

The time is right to consider separation. As an aside, separation will be beneficial to assemblymen because it will open up promotional opportunities.

Years ago I briefly moved to Northern New York, and I was surprised to hear some of the North Country people talk in terms of separation of upstate and downstate.  It seemed to me that the idea wouldn’t be helpful because the flow of funds favored upstate since Wall Street and other major corporations are based in the city.

However, the issue is no longer flow of funds.  The issue is strategic. The city has gotten into the habit of destroying the upstate economy.   The city has moved further and further to the left, with extremists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez influencing important policies.  The recent extremist triumph vis-à-vis  the proposed Amazon headquarters deprived the state of an infusion of jobs and taxes net of the tax reduction.  Extremists increasingly dominate the city government and increasingly receive support from the city’s voters. 

The policy mix favored by the city has consistently harmed our region economically.  A few years ago I read David Soll’s Empire of Water, and I realized how high a cost old-time families around here have paid over the years.   I live in a beautiful area and have a secure income, but for the majority of upstate New Yorkers the end result will be exit of business, exit of jobs, and dependence on government.  

The resulting culture of hopelessness eventually will turn into desperation. What is going to happen in the city is that there will be increasing calls for wealth redistribution and regulation. In turn, the tax base will exit, the super rich will exit, and corporations will exit,  creating a massive underclass that will no longer be able to depend on the state’s welfare system. Sooner or later the 36-year-old stock market bubble will pop, and Wall Street will lay an egg.  The end result will be widespread poverty and possibly economic collapse.  Upstate will be better off free of the city’s problems.

Years ago a restaurateur in Babylon, NY, Robert Matherson, posted a sign in various places, including outside his restaurant: “Move out of New York State Before It’s Too Late.”  It is time to heed Matherson’s warning.

Sincerely,

Mitchell Langbert, Ph.D.