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Tom Golisano "Moves" To Florida Over High NY Taxes

2009_05_golisan.jpg Western NY billionaire—and three time NY gubernatorial candidate—Tom Golisano has had it with New York's taxes so he's changing his legal address to Florida. Hey, if only the little people had residences in Florida too! Notably, it's the increased taxes to wealthier individuals that has Golisano riled up. The Buffalo News reports, "Golisano told a gathering of Rochester business executives that he will remain as owner of the Buffalo hockey team, but he is fleeing the Empire State to avoid paying $13,000 a day in state income taxes. While Golisano said his move will not end his role as outspoken critic of New York state government, it remains uncertain how seriously his cause will be taken at the State Capitol as a resident of the Town of Naples, Fla." Golisano, who is working with another billionaire, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on possibly revamping the Independence Party, says he'll use the money he's saving (over one year, that would be about $4.75 million) to finance charities and maybe his political action committee.

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  • NannyState

    Golisano changed his legal address? Isn't there a tax for that?

  • Blue387

    Maybe Tom Golisano could run for governor of Florida now that Good Time Charlie Crist is running for the Senate.

  • Blue387

    Sorry, double post.

  • Blue387

    Maybe Tom Golisano could run for governor of Florida now that Good Time Charlie Crist is running for the Senate.

  • Felix Hoenikker

    He's likely not going anywhere. Shuffle some paper and voila, a house he probably already owned is primary residence.

  • ANGRYGOD11

    That won't work. If you spend half of the nights of the year in NY, then NY tax collectors will tax you like a resident, because you are one.

    If that scam worked, most of us would own a primary home shack in Wyoming or Detroit.

  • Felix Hoenikker

    How would they track such a thing? GPS up the wazoo?

  • ANGRYGOD11

    This is exactly what tax collectors are trained to do: Track the money and the taxpayer. Only homeless drifters leave no paper trail. Phone record logs alone can prove residency (along with credit cards, mail, financial records, email, etc.). Besides, as a hockey team owner, too many people know him in Buffalo.

  • kissel

    if any of you were making even a couple of hundred K a year and NYS+NYC wanted to take 50 grand away from you (more if you own property)that you could keep by simply moving across a state line, I think many of you would. so please... whether he could afford it or not aside, if he doesn't like the way his money is spent by the state he has every right to leave. he made the money, didn't he? you or I have no rights to it.

  • Politburo

    Florida also has a sizable deficit, with a lot more problems on the way (notice how Crist didn't run again).



    Anyone want to bet how they'll fix the problem?

  • cool

    He ran for governor three times and lost....maybe it just dawned on him that we don't want him here either. In any case, he's on old man doing the snowbird thing, it's not the taxes, it's called retirement.

  • ANGRYGOD11

    What is billionaire Tom Golisano going to buy with tax savings he couldn't have right now? In Buffalo, he's a god and in Naples he's just another rich snowbird. He's rich enough not to turn his life upside down just because of state taxes. It sounds like an attempted martyrdom in the pettiest sense.

  • felixthecat2

    If only Ghouliani would leave NYC for Florida and take Bloomberg with him. Except they won't be able to get marry in Florida so we are stuck with them.

  • moocow

    sorry, rich flight from ny = myth. i have nothing against buffalo, but florida can take all the rich self-entitled aholes they want. that is the most psychotic state in the country. how many would want to move there full-time anyway? one?

  • Endless Ike

    Rich flight from NY is *NOT* a myth

  • Splicer

    A greedy self-centered wimp. Good riddance to all ass clowns like this jerk.

  • hotstepper

    i think he should secede.

  • felixthecat2

    take away Quinn's slush fund, Bloomberg gave Simcha Felder 5 million of Taxpayer's money to overturn term limits. do you have any idea how much of our money the city council doles out to non-profit that hires their friends and campaigns for them?

  • fauxsella

    I think every billionaire who leaves NY should be legally required to take X number of welfare queens and crackheads with him instead of leaving the rest of us to carry his weight.



    Golisano is proof that materialism and absolute individualism are in DNA of jerks like him.

  • Endless Ike

    This country was founded on materialism and absolute individualism...

  • SP

    Which is why it is collapsing and is bound for misery and ruin, unless it can change course.

  • Felix Hoenikker

    This country is going down the tubes for many reasons, but that is one of the least significant of them.

    Europe has the luxury of their welfare states only because they were lucky/smart enough to have us piss away 20% of our GNP fighting their battles and policing the world.

    Corporatism in league with corrupt government is far more damaging than individualism.

  • dr zippy

    In 2004 Forbes estimated Golisano's worth as $1.6 billion. So that extra $4 million/year in taxes is 0.025% of his net worth.

  • Snoopy

    WOW $13,000 a day in taxes. I don't even make $13,000 a day.

  • jfernandez

    Uh, for 4 million dollars a year, where *wouldn't* I live?

  • Dead Himmler

    New Jersey

  • Endless Ike

    Gov. Patterson, is that you?

  • Dead Himmler

    nfkvbkvjcjhfrb

  • thefacts

    I wouldn't live in Florida for $4 million dollars a year. Particularly Naples. It has more fossils than the Museum of Natural History.

    But then again, Golisano thinks Buffalo is a nice place to live.



    And, Tom: Good riddance!

  • Endless Ike

    Have you ever even been to Buffalo? there's a lot of great people there. If you'd spend any time there you might see how the taxation and shitty business climate (thanks unions!)that you undoubtedly voted for are destroying most of New York State.





    When the financial center of the planet slowly moves off shore and to asia, New York is going to be crushed under the weight of its own bullshit. Assholes like you will deserve the misery you're left with



    Want to see NY 25 years in the future? Visit Michigan.

  • thefacts

    Such astute financial prognostications from an anonymous, union-busting, underemployed internet troll!

  • Real Shit

    white slave you

  • felixthecat2

    Kudos, well said. TheFact is an asshole. He is the old Irish, white and bitter.

  • whitecastlerock

    you fucking racist piece of fucking shit

  • felixthecat2

    I didn't know you and THEFACTS were kin..

  • whitecastlerock

    We aren't, but practice what you preach my friend. Attacking Bloomberg because of his jumping beans commentary and then calling someone an old bitter white Irishman is a bit two faced...

  • Da Native

    awww the little white boys maddd. faget

  • felixthecat2

    Point taken, and I meant no offense to Irish heritage since I have worked in Dublin for 6 months and it was lovely. The pubs were the friendliest places I ever been. I meant the "old Mentality" but I apologize for my tasteless remark.

  • ides_of_march

    Like him or not, that's more taxes you and a lot of other NYers will have to cough up.



    It isn't just billionaires leaving. Plenty of far more modest earners and businesses are heading to more tax-friendly states. They don't like like supporting all the deadbeats and welfare queens either and having tax and spend politicians flushing their money down the toilet. Nobody here with two working brain cells would want to either.

  • SP

    When are you leaving? Right now would not be soon enough.

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