At some point, this stops being about “taxing the rich” and starts being about shrinking the base that supports jobs, investment, and growth. Taken together, this isn’t a strategy to address affordability - it’s a reaction to polling. If New York eliminates QSBS, startups won’t phase out - they’ll leave immediately. That’s not theoretical; it’s predictable. Step back from the politics and ask a simple question: what happens to affordability if we systematically raise costs across the entire economy on job creators making NY an outlier even vs neighboring states? We’re talking about: •startups losing QSBS •large employers facing the highest corporate tax rates in the country •mid-sized businesses hit by PTET changes •high earners already paying the highest income taxes •proposals to push minimum wage to $30, hitting small businesses hardest The most important point is that even if New York did all of this, it wouldn’t solve the problem. Without real, structural changes to the cost side of government, any additional revenue will be gone within a few years. That’s the core issue.