We have all seen and felt the mass exodus from New York to Florida here in Sarasota. We need to plan for this migration to continue and magnify. 

The exodus began well before the pandemic due to the high tax and negative business environment in New York. New York was taking its economy for granted. This exodus is now being magnified by COVID-19. With draconian shut-down measures that are not proving effective, the state is now not just driving the wealthy out, they are driving out their young people too. 

The New York flight to Florida due to taxes and business environment is not an anomaly. California has begun to see their fair share of flight to Texas, with one of the most prominent businessmen in the world, Elon Musk, picking up Tesla and his family and moving for this very reason. It is a sign in this now transitory economy, taxpayers do not have to stay where they are and get abused by government.

When I picked up The Wall Street Journal this week, I was stunned to see New York contemplating another income tax increase on those who make over a million. Almost a 2% increase is on the table. On top of that, some politicians are trying to make the income tax increase retroactive. Yes, you read that correctly, a retroactive income tax increase.

According to the article, labor unions in New York are advocating for the increase and dismiss any notion that this will drive investment out. Clearly, they have not been to Florida recently.

Ironically, the day prior to the New York tax increase article, The Wall Street Journal ran a real estate story about a wealthy private equity manager from New York who bought a penthouse in a Miami condominium for $33 million. Clearly, this is a problem for New York.

How dangerous is ignoring this problem? According to the article, about $50 billion in New York income taxes is collected from just 188,000 filers. By my back of the napkin math, the state of New York loses on average, well over a quarter of a million dollars in taxes for every one of these taxpayers that flees. Will a tax increase be worth it to avoid the $8 billion in cuts that the article claims is the alternative to the tax raise? The tax increase will be the easy way out, but likely the most damaging.

New York’s self-inflicted problem will affect Florida no matter what. We must prepare ourselves by planning for infrastructure, growth, and be mindful of the affordable housing problem being exacerbated. We will have an opportunity to do that planning in the upcoming two years. We will be planning for the renewal of our infrastructure surtax, the extra penny in sales tax we pay when we buy something taxable. 

The beauty of this tax is that over 30% of it is paid by tourists, lifting the burden from residents. It has given us roads, parks, amenities, and updated schools. Every person that moves here also pays this tax.

New Yorkers and others from mismanaged high tax states are coming. We cannot, and should not, try to stop them, we need to spend our energy on planning for them. The community needs to constructively begin to think about our infrastructure and needs for the next 15 years, because they are coming whether we build the infrastructure or not.         

Christine Robinson is executive director of The Argus Foundation. 

As we end a uniquely difficult year, I knew I could count on some good people to remind me what’s right in our world.

I am talking about a humble group of Gulf Coast Community Foundation donors who helped make it possible for more than 200 chronically homeless individuals in our region find permanent homes this year. These previously homeless individuals are the ones who have “highest acuity of need.” That means they were homeless for long periods of time—most often years—and suffer complicating challenges like mental illness or addiction.

Take, for instance, James. We heard James’s story from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. While he was serving a felony sentence in the county jail, James expressed interest in help. He began working with a team of “Reentry Navigators,” who then connected him with the county’s Homeless Outreach Team upon his release.

James was able to get shelter and services from The Salvation Army, where he reactivated the disability benefits that were discontinued during his incarceration. His history of homelessness and his disability qualified him for the Suncoast Rapid Rehousing program, run by St. Vincent de Paul CARES. The good people there helped James move into his own apartment, where he continues to receive case management from them while working toward the full independence he set as his goal.

This is a safety net that Gulf Coast Community Foundation has knitted together with our donors and our many outstanding nonprofit and government teammates, including Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness. They’d tell you that the success achieved by James and others is reward enough. But I still want to thank them, on behalf of so many in our community who are turning a hopeful page in a home of their own this year-end.

What inspires me most about James’s story is that, together with our donors, we’ve created a safety net that catches those who want to be helped. When you think about year-end giving, your charitable works can do more than patch a hole. You can be part of a team that together helps not just one individual, but hundreds within a year.

This past year has been one that many people will want to forget. But it’s worth remembering how philanthropy—literally, love of humanity—continued to flourish, making this year a positively unforgettable one for neighbors like James.

Mark Pritchett is president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

The holiday season always brings reflection. We look back on a year like no other, full of unexpected challenges and disruption to our lives. I hope, however, that 2020 also gives us hope and confidence when we look at the ways we chose to rise above the issues. Through it all, there are many things I am thankful for in 2020.

I am thankful that State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, is uniquely positioned to help our students and community overcome the pandemic’s impacts. Our academic offerings, rapid credentialing opportunities and local partnerships put our college at the center of our community’s economic resurgence. Our flexibility and spirit of innovation give us the ability to rapidly respond to student and employer needs.

Throughout this year, our team at SCF maintained our commitment to quality and to preserving the value of an SCF degree or certificate. On Dec. 11, we held a drive-through commencement ceremony to acknowledge the accomplishments of more than 860 Fall 2020 graduates. These students, along with our 820 spring and 520 summer graduates, rose above unprecedented circumstances and remained committed to their futures during this crazy year.

I am thankful that we can impact areas of our community most in need. Among our fall graduates are 76 registered nurses who can provide relief to the over-taxed nursing staffs in our region’s hospitals. It is a testimony to the character and dedication of each of these graduates that they willingly enter the nursing profession at this time. They have no illusions about the environment they are entering.

I am thankful for our partners in assisting our community members return to the workforce through our “Get Credentialed, Get Noticed!” initiative, which can get students back in the workforce in less than a year in many different career fields." SCF’s rapid credentialing programs can get students back in the workforce in less than a year in many different career fields. Scholarships are available through the CARES Act grant from the state and laptops through Florida Power and Light’s $229,000 grant. At SCF we follow the ABC method with our program: first “A” job, then on to a “B”etter job and finally a “C”areer.

I am thankful to be in such a philanthropic community. When our students needed help the most last spring, the SCF Foundation was able to raise $100,000 for the SCF Foundation Coronavirus Student Emergency Fund. The Foundation’s November virtual scholarship luncheon exceeded its fundraising goal for student scholarships. This community believes in the future of our students and we are extremely grateful for that support.

I am thankful that we could create a safe learning and working environment on our campuses for staff, faculty and students. We will maintain our commitment to letting students choose how they take their classes, whether on campus or online, and will continue to offer classes with flexible start and end dates to suit students’ family and work commitments.

This has been a challenging year, but I am extremely proud of how SCF has served our students. The need for higher education and workforce training has never been more compelling, and we are committed to providing the environment and the resources our students need to move forward with their lives. I am thankful, however, that 2020 is coming to a close and look forward with optimism for the year ahead.

Dr. Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. 

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Click here for the full December 2020 edition of SRQ Magazine.