Florida CFO makes sales pitch to New Yorkers to bail on the Big Apple: 'A boon to our bottom line'
Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis branded Florida as the safer, less expensive state
Florida CFO makes sales pitch for NYC residents to bail on Big Apple: ‘Good business’ for us
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis blasts New York City Mayor Eric Adams' job performance as he compares and contrasts liberal policies to those in his state.
Florida's chief financial officer is making the case for New Yorkers to flee Democratic policies and make their way south to the Sunshine State.
Jimmy Patronis joined "FOX & Friends First" on Wednesday where he compared and contrasted policies from the blue stronghold to those in Florida as his own state appears to be getting redder with time.
"I cannot believe the ridiculousness… You've got an attorney general who is confiscating properties of business owners like Donald Trump, and then you've got a mayor who might as well be setting piles of money on fire in Times Square," he said of the Big Apple.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis speaks before introducing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a rally for Florida Republicans at the Cheyenne Saloon in Orlando, Florida, on Nov. 7, 2022. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"This is good business for the state of Florida."
Many have already fled the Empire State, according to U.S. Census Bureau data indicating that 91,000 people left for Florida in 2022.
Amid the chaos, a report released by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander on Tuesday said taxpayers have been fleeced for millions of dollars as Democratic Mayor Eric Adams' administration awarded emergency no-bid contracts to deal with the migrant crisis.
These deals have allowed companies to charge "exorbitant rates" for migrant shelter staffing with "little oversight and vetting," The New York Post reported.
Graphic shows data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicating the number of New Yorkers who fled to Florida in 2022. (Fox & Friends First/Screengrab)
"Democrats are basically making the sales pitch for you," Todd Piro, co-host of "FOX & Friends First," said of the development.
Additional concerns related to the migrant crisis have made headlines in recent weeks, including news that New York City shelled out prepaid credit cards to migrant families to aid with food and baby supply purchases.
As the city nears its breaking point and crime remains sky-high, Mayor Adams is also calling for sanctuary laws to be modified so law-breaking migrants can be deported.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at the office of the District Attorneys in New York on Feb. 8. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Safety is the number one attraction [to Florida]," Patronis said. "Your poor police officers are good men and women, but they're afraid to arrest somebody or they just won't, simply because your D.A. will not prosecute them.
"You have got a city that used to be a real icon in this country, in this world, and now it's deteriorating to something that you'd see at a thrift shop."
Patronis additionally pointed out his firsthand experience with a number of families that fled New York because they wanted lower taxes, saying of the city's leadership, "Your governance is a boon to our bottom line."
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FOX Business' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
