New Yorkers get what they voted for.<\/p>\n
New York Democrats Propose \u2018Netflix Tax\u2019 to Bail Out Failing Subway System<\/a><\/p>\n Democrats in New York are reportedly weighing a new four percent tax on streaming entertainment subscriptions like Netflix and Hulu to help bail out New York City\u2019s failing subway system, which is facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit by 2025.<\/p>\n Lawmakers are desperately seeking to avoid yet another fare hike that would push the cost of a subway ride to $3 from the current $2.75. The proposed streaming tax would raise more than $100 million a year, according to a Wall Street Journal report.<\/p>\n New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) had originally intended to prevent a fare increase through a hike in payroll taxes, which would reportedly generate $700 million in revenue. But her plan appears dead in the water, forcing Democrats to scramble to find an alternative.<\/p>\n The proposal would not be the first so-called \u201cNetflix tax\u201d passed in the United States. As of 2017, according to USA Today, several cities and states receive revenue from additional fees on streaming video subscriptions:<\/p>\n Chicago, Pennsylvania and Florida have already passed a so-called Netflix tax, and cities such as Pasadena, Calif. have broached the issue.<\/p>\n These taxes can translate to additional fees of less than $1 each month to consumers. But over the months \u2014 and tacked onto multiple streaming subscriptions \u2014 they might add up to $50 or more each year.<\/p>\n New York City\u2019s subway system has fallen into disrepair and chaos under the city and state\u2019s Democrat leadership.<\/p>\n Ridership has failed to rebound following the coronavirus pandemic while crime is soaring. The city\u2019s subway crime rate skyrocketed 30 percent in 2022 from the previous year, outstripping the 22 percent increase in major crimes across the city during the same period, according to NYPD data.<\/p>\n Other than the higher taxes, more crime, elimination of gas stoves, less freedom, lower test scores, and other doozies, life in Kathy Hochul\u2019s New York is going just swell for her \u201capostles\u201d who haven\u2019t left yet. https:\/\/t.co\/QcGLRQ2Pqs<\/a><\/p>\n — Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) March 24, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n