The Empire State has the dubious distinction of having the nation’s highest tax burden and is the fourth most expensive state to live in behind Hawaii, California and Massachusetts. This might be why its population has consistently been dropping like a stone, as New Yorkers decamp for more affordable climes.

In her January State of the State address, Gov. Kathy Hochul addressed this crisis head-on, telling New Yorkers that “our state has to be livable and the people here have to be able to afford to live in it.” The governor subsequently put forth a series of “Money in Your Pocket” policy proposals, including one that would redistribute $3 billion in sales tax revenue in the form of an inflation rebate check.

One-time tax rebates are not a novel idea: Governors in Georgia, Idaho and New Mexico have all at one time or another opted for this politically popular quick-fix approach. But tax rebates do........

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