It’s truly astonishing how fiscally irresponsible New York is. The state budget proposal calls for $254 billion in spending, which is 8.3 percent higher than last year. That comes despite New York’s population having peaked in 2020. It’s a spending increase far in excess of the rate of inflation to provide government services for fewer people.
Ditch compares the New York state budget to the Florida state budget, a sensible comparison since both are big states with major urban and rural areas and high levels of demographic and economic diversity. He finds:
- New York’s spending per capita was 30 percent higher than Florida’s in 2000. It was 133 percent higher last year.
- New York’s Medicaid spending per capita was 112 percent higher than Florida’s in 2000. It was 208 percent higher last year. Florida has not expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, while New York has expanded it more aggressively than any other state. “For perspective, in 2024 New York spent nearly as much per capita on Medicaid ($4,551) as Florida did for its entire state budget ($5,076).”
- New York’s education spending per student is highest in the country, at about $35,000. Florida spends about $13,000 per student. Florida fourth-graders rank third in the country in reading and fourth in math. New York fourth-graders rank 36th and 46th.
- Florida has surpassed New York in population and continues to boom.
Here is more from Dominic Pino.
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