Yesterday, my wife and I had an appointment at an office building on Tamiami Trail (Route 41) in Naples. After I parked the car, and we began walking to the front entrance I noticed this car with the license plate, SEEYA NY. This is not the first license I have seen with a similar message. A few weeks ago, I saw a car with a license plate, if my memory serves me correct, GOODBYECA.
The exodus from blue states to Florida has been underway for the past couple of years and will continue for as far as the eye can see. The cities in blue states are becoming—if they are not there already--third world hell holes. Crime, homelessness, and other social ills have made urban America less and less desirable places to live and raise a family.
The Tallahassee based James Madison Institute outlines why Florida has become one of the top destinations in the country. The Sunshine State has become so popular that communities are trying to slow down development because it is getting crowded here in Southwest Florida, especially this time of the year, when “snowbirds” from all over the country, Canada, and Europe flock here for the winter.
The political elites in blue states are incredibly ignorant of economics or deliberately making their states and cities less inhabitable. It is hard to believe they are deliberately driving middle income families, wealthy individuals, and businesses out of their jurisdictions. If so, they should be driven out of office ASAP. Upcoming mayoralty and gubernatorial elections in blue states and cities will speak volumes about the electorate. If these clowns are reelected, then maybe we should reconsider our “democracy.” If people continue to vote for the Lightfoots, Pritizkers, and other clueless dolts, then we should remember what the great H.L Mencken stated about voting, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”
The ultimate democracy is people voting with their feet. Thus, democracy is alive and well in America…for the time being.
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In the meantime, the Ponzi schemes known as Social Security and Medicare are financially unsustainable. A just released new report forecasts that the SS trust fund will be depleted a year earlier. In other words, Social Security is not a sound financial plan should be phased out so young and middle aged workers save for their retirement by investing in an Individual Retirement Account or max out in their employers’ 401(k) plans. This is part of the “fix.”
The other component is for wealthy individuals to be removed from SS. In return, everyone would be exempt from taxes on dividends, interest income and capital gains. The savings pool in the US would skyrocket and thus investment in real assets, which would increase capital formation and productivity. Lower prices for consumers would result, increasing living standards for all workers.
Perry Atkinson and I discussed SS and Medicare on his show yesterday, https://www.thedove.us/page/focus-today.
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Last Wednesday I spoke at the Fort Myers Trump Club. Members are local Republicans who organized themselves to bring in local officials and others, like me, to discuss policy issues. With Q&A I had about 30 minutes to outline how America has been transformed from a relatively limited government republic into a welfare-warfare state over the past 110 years, beginning with the addition of the 16th Amendment and passage of the Federal Reserve Act in 1913.
After I spoke the Florida Agriculture Commissioner, Wilton Simpson, was interviewed by a podcaster. Simpson sat near me when the podcast ended, and I gave him a copy of my autobiography. I asked him if he would be able to give copies to Governor DeSantis and Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the Health Commissioner. I have a dozen or so copies of my book for public officials and others, who can learn about my journey from a 1960s liberal to an advocate of libertarian solutions to the issues facing America for the past 50+ years.
As the old saying goes, and I am paraphrasing, a long journey begins with a single step. The goal of a free America has begun. Be part of the journey.
Murray Sabrin, PhD, is emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College of New Jersey. Dr. Sabrin is considered a “public intellectual” for writing about the economy in scholarly and popular publications. His new book, The Finance of Health Care: Wellness and Innovative Approaches to Employee Medical Insurance (Business Expert Press, Oct. 24, 2022), and his other BEP publication, Navigating the Boom/Bust Cycle: An Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide (October 2021), provides decision makers with tools needed to help manage their businesses during the business cycle. Sabrin's autobiography, From Immigrant to Public Intellectual: An American Story, was published in November, 2022.