I (Used to) Love New York
Commentary
NEW YORK—I was a teenager when I first visited New York. The flight cost $15 on the Eastern Airlines Shuttle from Washington, DC You can purchase your ticket from a flight attendant on board. She (and it was always her back then) wheeled a cart down the aisle with a credit card machine on top.
New York in the 60s was the place to be. It was Greenwich Village with folk music. Broadway shows were cheap and the subway cost a dime. The streets were mostly clear of litter (except during the occasional litter strike) and most importantly, they were free of criminals.
One New Year’s Eve I decided to join the crowd in Times Square. I was not afraid of being robbed or pickpocketed.
For 10 years I came to New York every week to appear on Fox News programs. It was exciting for a guy who used to live here with little money while in the army.
Old New York is a faded memory and unknown to young people brave enough to visit the city. Afterwards, I brought a camera to record my experiences. On this trip, after seeing television images of people being beaten with sticks and punches and pushed onto subway tracks, I brought the Cat.
New York’s exodus to less expensive and safer climes is well documented. In 2021, the US Census Bureau reported that 300,000 residents left the state. I suspect the number this year will match or exceed that. High taxes, crime, housing and cost of living are all contributing factors. The police are also leaving, 831 so far this year. Who can blame them given the way they are treated?
New York is not alone. Other big cities, faced with rising crime, warned district attorneys like New York’s Michael Bragg, who releases violent criminals with little or no bail, are experiencing similar reductions in their populations. A new study by Redfin has found that the number of people leaving Los Angeles for safer, cheaper cities is at record levels. Homelessness, tourists and dirty streets make these cities less attractive.
It gives new meaning to the opening line of Frank Sinatra’s song “Start spreading the news. I’m leaving today.” Except now the departure is from, not New York.
Businesses are also fleeing New York, much to Florida, which has no state income tax, reducing New York’s overtaxed base.
Much of this can be changed with the right political leadership. Rep. Lee Zeldin (RN.Y.) laid out a detailed plan to fight crime and improve the state’s economy when he ran for governor. Unfortunately, he lost to the incompetent Kathy Hochul. Many New Yorkers are so attached to the Democratic Party that they would vote for anyone, maybe even Satan, if he had a “D” after his name.
The Democratic mayors and governors of these cities and states own these issues, but the media never holds the Democrats accountable for their failures, as the Republicans would if a member of that party ever manages to win an election and fail as badly as they have. the democrats.
So many songs were written about New York and the love people had for it. Some still love it. These are the brave ones who seem to think it’s not as bad as it looks on TV or in The New York Post, the only newspaper that pays attention to the crime spree and the criminals who roam the streets, shoplifting and attacking people. innocent.
As for me, I have no intention of dying hard or easy in New York. This is why I keep Mace.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
John Calvin Thomas has been a columnist, author and radio commentator for more than 35 years. His latest book is America’s Expiry Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States.
