New York is sailing in rough waters, with a shrinking population, the nation\u2019s highest tax burden and elected leadership that thinks the best way through a wall is to beat your head against it.<\/p>\n
So Rep. Elise Stefanik\u2019s entry<\/a> into the 2026 governor\u2019s race is a glimmer of hope for the million-plus New Yorkers who are considering joining the crowds already streaming toward the exits.<\/p>\n Florida, Texas and Tennessee \u2014 with zero income tax and lower real-estate taxes \u2014 have become magnets for high-earning New Yorkers tired of being shaken upside-down by their ankles by revenue hungry Albany pols.<\/p>\n \u201cKathy Hochul is the worst governor in America,\u201d\u00a0Stefanik thundered on X.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills.\u201d Amen!<\/p>\n \t\t\tMore From\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPost Editorial Board<\/p>\n And kudos to Stefanik for refusing to let the Democrats bogart \u201caffordability\u201d as their new byword, when their agenda has for decades been exactly what makes New York so expensive and increasingly unlivable.<\/p>\n Albany\u2019s energy policies have given New Yorkers some of the highest utility bills in the nation \u2014 especially in the city and on Long Island, with costs soaring even higher during cold snaps and heat waves.<\/p>\n