In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said inquiries from executives in blue states — including a Rochester technology firm looking to escape New York’s tax burden for the “land of opportunity” — are pouring in as companies look to leave progressive governance.
“This immediately went national,” Wilson said. “We had people literally texting us saying, ‘Hey, I’m seeing this. This is amazing. Our country needs to have this discussion, of course, about free enterprise versus socialism.’”
“The response has been from all over the country. We’ve had companies from Washington, California, Illinois, of course, New York. This has really been a national reaction,” he added. “We’ve had former governors and state senators in other states. We’ve had members of Congress who saw this… contact us and say, ‘Okay, this is the conversation our country needs to have.’”
After the billboard went live at the corner of Broadway and West 43rd Street, web traffic to the Chamber’s “Free Enterprise” campaign spiked by 500% to 600%, according to Wilson. He said inquiries from businesses, site selectors and public officials came at a rate of five to seven contacts per day, extending beyond New York.
“I received a call from a company in Rochester, a technology company in Rochester, New York, who’s very interested about getting out of New York and actually moving here to what they call the land of opportunity,” Wilson said.
A City Hall spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital in response to the ad that “by any metric, New York City’s economy under Mayor Mamdani is as strong as it’s ever been,” and said working-class New Yorkers are benefiting. Wilson disputed that assessment, citing fiscal pressures and tax structures that he argued disproportionately strain middle-class workers, including welders, electricians and nurses.
(@TrustHim1969) August 11, 2026
