Lately, many people who live in the Empire State have been feeling like New York is not as good of a place to live as it used to be.

It seems like government officials from just about every level within the stage have been going out of their way to make New York feel less welcoming to some while making it more welcoming to others.

Now, while officials have opened access to some things that were previously illegal, like marijuana use, the vast majority of the recent announcements that have come out from state officials, they are banning, or looking to ban, just about everything in New York. When I say everything, I mean it seems like everything:

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All of these proposed changes have many New Yorkers feel like it's taking us down the wrong path. As a legal gun owner in the Empire State, I for one can agree with this and honestly feel that New York's current gun laws are just dumb. Plus, I don't look forward to having to spend several thousand dollars to convert my house to all-electric.

With all of these things being banned in New York, there are several other things that I think New York should look to ban, but we all know they probably won't.

Things New York Should Ban, But Probably Never Will

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Tolls On The Grand Island Bridges

Toll collection started for the Grand Island Bridges in 1951 when New York hired its very first toll collectors. Many Western New Yorkers are pretty unhappy with having to pay a toll to cross the GI Bridges because it sometimes feels like a commuter tax. It's time for NY to ban tolls on the Grand Island Bridges and have them go away like when tolls left the 190 North and South in 2006.

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Potholes

One of the stated reasons we have tolls in New York is for road maintenance, however, based on how many potholes I hit every day on the New York State Thruway between, it doesn't seem like filling potholes is part of those plans. New York really needs to step its game up and start banning potholes. Some of the worst roads in the country belong to New York which is a shame considering how high our taxes are.

Taxpayers Line Up To Pre-Pay Property Taxes Ahead Of New Tax Law Limits
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High Taxes

Honestly, the first thing that should be on the ban list in the Empire State is our sky-high taxes. New Yorkers, in general, pay among the highest taxes in the nation, with several counties being among the highest taxed counties. Often it's hard to see exactly what our tax dollars go to. It's about time for New York to lead the way and ban high tax rates.

U.S. Gun Sales Reach Record Levels In 2012
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Current Gun Laws

New York has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, which have not done much to stem the illegal gun trade in New York or reduce gun violence. Those laws also make it very difficult for law-abiding gun owners to remain in compliance with the law. One of the best things New York can do is ban some of the crazy gun laws it has on the books and make it easier for law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional rights.

Photo by Maria Thalassinou on Unsplash
Photo by Maria Thalassinou on Unsplash
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Corrupt Politicians

New York has a little more than its fair share of politicians who have broken the public trust and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon. It's beyond time for us to show the nation how to do it and ban corrupt politicians.

What are some other things that New York should ban?

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