A newly published study shows taxpayers are (still) abandoning blue states and heading to states where Republicans retain a greater level of influence.
Leah Jessen of the Daily Signal reported:
Study: Taxpayers Are Leaving Democrat-Run States for States Controlled by RepublicansIn an analysis of Internal Revenue Service income statistics and migration data, Americans for Tax Reform—an advocacy group for lower and simpler taxes—concluded that in 2013 more than 200,000 taxpayers fled states with a Democrat governor to states with Republicans in control.The analysis shows that in 2013 states run by Democrats lost 226,763 taxpayers while Republican-run states gained about 220,000 new taxpayers.The state with the most growth in new taxpayers? Texas.The state, governed by Republican Rick Perry during the 2012-2013 year, saw a positive net migration of 152,477 people. “Texas accounted for more than half of the net migration into the South,” the IRS reports.
The IRS report can be seen here.
John Stossel reported on this phenomena back in 2013, noting that two million people left California for Texas between 2000 and 2010.
Watch:
This is good and bad news.
The good news is that it shows conservative policies are more attractive to taxpayers. The bad news is that this type of migration can change states politically. The New York Times reported in 2014:
Of course, not all blue-state migrants are liberal. And people’s political views can change over time. But enough of the migrants have the views of their home states to have made a difference. It’s no accident that the places in once-red states where migrants have tended to settle — like the Virginia suburbs of Washington, the Research Triangle of North Carolina and the Denver metro area — are the places that have allowed Democrats to overcome huge deficits elsewhere in those states. Many of these migrants are Northeastern Democrats.
New Hampshire used to be a reliably red state, but years of migration to southern New Hampshire by liberals from Massachusetts who brought their politics with them has shifted the Granite State which went to Obama in the last two elections.
Fleeing Californians post an even greater risk in places like Colorado, Nevada and even Texas. See Featured Image.)
A similar argument could be made about Virginia.
Americans for Tax Reform also picked up on this study and broke it down by the numbers:
Taxpayers Crown Winner of America’s Biggest Loser: New YorkThe phenomenal failure of New York to retain taxpayers and businesses is directly related to its uncompetitive tax and business climates.By some measures, New Yorkers face the greatest tax burden of any state in the nation. The personal income tax system consists of eight brackets and a top rate of 8.82%. The corporate tax of 7.1% and property tax collections are $2435 per person. The Tax Foundation ranked New York 50th until this year after a set of minor tax reductions.In 2013, New York had the largest population losses to the following states:
- Florida -20,465 (-$1.35 billion)
- New Jersey -16,223 (-$1.1 billion)
- Texas -10,784 (-$354 million)
- North Carolina -9,070 ($294 million)
- California -7,849 (-$200 million)
All of this begs the obvious question: If the Democratic Party’s policies are so great, why do taxpayers flee them if they have the means to do so? And why do they then vote for the same policies that made them flee their home states in the first place?
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