{"success":true,"data":{"id":"062b1cd3-0735-40d1-96eb-8a76245bcc0b","title":"Detroit developer cites tax hikes as reason big blue cities like NYC are struggling: ‘Socialists are on the march’","summary":"America’s once-iconic industrial hub is primed for an economic comeback as major metropolitan areas continue to bleed residents to lower-tax states, a prominent Michigan developer told Fox News Digital.","content":"America’s once-iconic industrial hub is primed for an economic comeback as major metropolitan areas continue to [bleed residents to lower-tax states](https://nypost.com/2026/03/28/us-news/new-york-california-and-other-high-taxed-states-losing-billions-of-dollars-while-florida-and-others-prosper-from-mass-migration-irs/), a prominent Michigan developer told Fox News Digital.\n\nRodney Lockwood, Board Chairman of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, warned that [high-tax cities like New York City](https://nypost.com/2026/07/20/opinion/high-taxes-are-already-killing-new-yorks-future/), Los Angeles, and San Francisco are facing serious structural trouble.\n\n“I think we have to look at both sides: what is not working, and then what will work,” Lockwood said.\n\n“Right now, socialists are on the march, and [Zohran Mamdani in New York](https://nypost.com/2026/07/22/us-news/mamdani-plans-pressure-campaign-to-push-for-slew-of-tax-hikes-including-one-that-could-squeeze-black-homeowners/) is perhaps the best example of that. They’re winning races, and their answer is always the same: [more taxes](https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/americas-tax-burden-by-state-ranked-and-some-have-it-way-worse-than-california/) and more free stuff.”\n\nLockwood’s comments come as progressive-led cities nationwide—including New York, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles—struggle with taxpayer flight driven by [high state and local taxes](https://nypost.com/2026/06/28/us-news/how-measure-er-will-impact-almost-all-shopping-trips-in-la-county/), lingering crime concerns, and an astronomical cost of living.\n\n“Right now, socialists are on the march, and Zohran Mamdani in New York is perhaps the best example of that,” Rodney Lockwood said, in part. vichie81 – stock.adobe.com\n\nLos Angeles is one progressive-led US city struggling with taxpayer flight driven by high state and local taxes, lingering crime concerns, and an astronomical cost of living. frank peters – stock.adobe.com\n\nA new study by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), [released](https://www.ntu.org/foundation/detail/migration-in-minutes-latest-irs-data-on-interstate-migration-shows-taxpayers-continuing-to-flee-california-and-new-york) April 7, 2026, confirmed that taxpayers are fleeing high-tax environments for more fiscally friendly states.\n\nWhile [Texas and Florida remain the top targets](https://nypost.com/2026/04/03/business/its-not-just-florida-and-texas-that-threaten-nycs-sputtering-tax-base-heres-the-next-big-worry/), states like North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are also seeing record gains.\n\nNotably, the NTUF “Migration in Minutes” metric found that Texas surpassed Florida in 2022 as the state gaining a new taxpayer most frequently — one every four minutes and 40 seconds.\n\n“I sort of see it as a case of suicidal envy,” Lockwood explained.\n\n### Start your day with all you need to know\n\nMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\n\nNever miss a story.","source_name":"New York Post","source_url":"https://nypost.com/2026/07/25/real-estate/detroit-developer-cites-tax-hikes-as-reason-big-blue-cities-like-nyc-are-struggling-socialists-are-on-the-march/","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/07/25/real-estate/detroit-developer-cites-tax-hikes-as-reason-big-blue-cities-like-nyc-are-struggling-socialists-are-on-the-march/","author":"Fox News","author_name":"Fox News","published_at":"2026-07-25T18:39:17.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-25T18:39:17.000Z","image_url":"https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/newspress-collage-0wjajimiw-1785001128751.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1784986866&w=1200","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":2,"word_count":321,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}