There are moments in politics when the mask slips because reality finally forces politicians’ hands. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently sat down for an interview with Politico, and boy, did the mask slip. She talked taxes, affordability, and fleeing millionaires, all while defending a spending agenda that keeps growing. Margaret Thatcher famously said, "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." Well, Hochul is getting a crash course in exactly that.
During the interview, Hochul addressed questions about the state legislature's budget proposals, which included a raft of new "revenue-raisers,” a euphemism for tax increases targeting higher-income brackets and corporations. She was asked directly whether those proposals had changed her thinking. Her answer was more honest than she probably intended.
"What I want to make sure we are smart about is having a system in place where it's not just taxing for the sake of taxing," Hochul said. "And being conscious of the fact that I need people who are high-net-worth to support the generous social programs that we want to have in our state. Right?"
Read that again. The governor of New York publicly admitted that her welfare state campaign promises depend entirely on keeping rich people around to fund it. It’s probably one of the most honest statements you’ll get from a Democrat.
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Then came the part that deserves its own wing in the Museum of Political Audacity. Hochul decided to compare paying taxes to patriotism. "Now, there are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up," she said. "Okay, cut me the checks. If you want to be supportive, but maybe the first step should be to go down to Palm Beach and see who we can bring back home because our tax base has been eroded."
Patriotism. She called it patriotism. Paying taxes to fund bloated state programs that have driven hundreds of thousands of people out of New York — that's apparently the new definition of love of country.
Meanwhile, Hochul herself acknowledged that New York is in direct competition with states carrying lighter tax burdens. Wealthy residents have discovered that Florida has weather, freedom, and no state income tax. Hochul's solution? Drive to Palm Beach and beg them to come back.
Kathy Hochul making a weak plea for wealthy people who have left New York (to red states like Florida) to come back to pay their high taxes to fund failing (unaccountable) social programs:
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) March 18, 2026
“I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs we have in… pic.twitter.com/7quhsFyWyn
The same thing is happening in New York City, by the way. Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani are both banking on the same shrinking pool of high earners to fund their socialist utopian promises. The top 1% of earners already account for more than 40% of the state's personal income tax revenue. These are not people who are going to sit still while politicians call them unpatriotic for leaving because they want to keep more of their money.
Florida, Texas, and other lower-tax states are not running on fumes. They are funding essential services, attracting businesses, and growing their economies — without chasing residents out the door. That’s the lesson that the likes of Mamdani, Hochul, Gavin Newsom, and pretty much the entire Democratic Party haven’t learned yet.
