The Blue State Illusion: How Liberal Hypocrisy Fuels American Inequality
An analysis of The New York Times Opinion video editorial — with a look at Westchester County, NY
In its YouTube editorial, “Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How,” the New York Times Opinionteam delivers a pointed critique of Democratic leadership in America’s most progressive states. Despite holding full political power in 18 states, Democrats often fall short in turning their platform into policy—especially on the issues of housing, taxation, and education. The result is a troubling pattern of inequality entrenched not in red states but in blue ones.
This contradiction is not theoretical—it’s playing out in real-time in places like Westchester County, New York.
The editorial begins by asking a crucial question: What happens when Democrats are in full control and no Republicans are in their way? Using the 2020 Democratic Party platform as a benchmark, the video editorial examines whether states governed by Democrats are delivering on their promises. The answer, in many cases, is no.
Westchester County offers a vivid example. Long considered a liberal stronghold, Westchester presents a stark economic divide along racial lines. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income for Black or African American residents is approximately $77,471, compared to the county-wide median of $118,411. This income gap collides with an increasingly unaffordable housing market. As of February 2025, the average home value in the county stands at $798,586—a 5.1% increase from the previous year. More striking, the price of single-family homes has crossed the $1 million threshold for the first time, according to CBS News. For many Black families, homeownership is becoming a distant dream.
This mirrors patterns seen in the editorial’s deep dive into California, where liberal cities like Palo Alto outwardly promote equity but quietly block affordable housing. Efforts to build multi-unit housing—such as a 60-unit project for seniors—are frequently stopped by residents who advocate for inclusion in theory but resist it in practice. This “Not In My Backyard” mentality protects property values and zoning laws, even as it perpetuates exclusion.
Taxation is another area where liberal states often defy their own stated ideals. While Democratic leaders champion progressive taxation, states like Washington—home to some of the wealthiest individuals in the country—maintain deeply regressive tax systems. Low-income residents pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than the rich. Even conservative states like Texas fare better in this regard. The editorial clarifies that these outcomes are not due to Republican obstruction; they are Democratic decisions.
The pattern extends to public education. In Illinois, particularly in Cook County, the school funding system is designed to concentrate resources in wealthy districts. The county is divided into more than 140 school zones, many drawn to protect affluent tax bases. In some cases, children on the same block are sent to dramatically different schools depending on which side of a district line they live. The same story plays out in Connecticut and Westchester, where some schools operate in state-of-the-art buildings while others struggle with mold, broken windows, and inadequate heating.
Despite these failures, many liberal communities continue to project a public image of inclusion. They display signs of solidarity, attend marches, and speak the language of progress. However, when it comes to policy decisions—zoning, school funding, and tax reform—their actions often reinforce the inequality they claim to oppose.
The editorial doesn’t dismiss the progress that has been made. California, for example, recently passed legislation to phase out single-family zoning. Blue states also offer more robust public services and better upward mobility than red states. Still, Democratic-governed states often fail on foundational issues of fairness and equity.
The conclusion is hard to ignore. Many of America’s most severe inequality issues—skyrocketing housing costs, underfunded public schools, regressive taxes—are concentrated in places run by Democrats. These aren’t failures of opposition. They are failures of will.
And for Black communities in places like Westchester County, these failures are not just statistics. They are lived realities. Until Democratic leaders—and the voters who elect them—are willing to back up their values with structural change, inequality will remain deeply embedded in the very states that promise to fight it.
This article is partly based on the New York Times Opinion video editorial, “Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How.” Published on YouTube by The New York Times on March 20, 2025.
