Brad Lander’s plan to tax the rich to kill the golden goose
City Comptroller Brad Lander hatched a plan to raise taxes, taxes and more taxes to offset the end of federal COVID money — which never happened allegedly to lead to permanently higher city spending, but what else can a power-hungry pinko do besides dreaming up new ways to kill Gotham’s golden goose?
Oh, and also criticize the city’s middle class.
Since Bill de Blasio took office as mayor, the city’s spending has risen stratospherically above inflation, and the government’s “pandemic aid” has taken the party to a whole new level.
The city’s Department of Education is now spending incredible amounts $37,000 per studentalthough it’s a real question how much of it actually benefits the kids.
(Not much, suggest the test results.)
Brad’s big idea: keep partying, folks!
He claims his plans to 1) tax the rich more heavily, 2) hollow out the garden, and 3) raise property taxes even more, can bring the city a whopping $1 billion a year.
Not to mention that income tax hikes for top earners (who already pay a nation-leading overall tax rate if they live in the city) as well as a “pied-à-terre surcharge” (that makes them bleed for just one visit!) only add to one adding to the burden would be the incentives to keep the Big Apple permanently in the rear-view mirror and never give it a dime in taxes (or other expenses, like running a business or even a wealthy night on the town) again.
Wealthy New Yorkers who fled in 2020 took $21 with them billion in income with them.
You might want to visit Palm Beach, Mr. Comptroller: New York exiles have already turned it into a surprisingly familiar place: it has a Palm, plus its own La Goulue, Le Bilboquet, Maxwell’s Plum, Swifty’s, Adrienne’s Pizzabar, Harry’s… . .
And no matter that this would require Albany’s approval – if the state budget is balanced more more dependent on Wall Street than the city.
Lawmakers would also have to approve “his” idea (stolen from other progs) to end the reduction of Madison Square Garden.
Since everyone hates the Dolans, that’s a safe voter — and that’s all Lander really cares about anyway.
As for property taxes, sure, they need to be reformed—but if Lander intends to hike If he were to increase revenue in this way, he would only tax those who are now “undertaxed” more heavily to make them match the amount that the “overtaxed” have to pay.
Beware of the middle class (especially anyone who lives in a condo or chicken coop).
The actual “plan” here is to challenge Mayor Eric Adams in the 2025 Democratic primary.
At the moment, polls suggest so Lander would be almost wiped out 3-1.
So expect Brad to be a very busy bee over the next two years, offering more crazy schemes that would destroy the city but having a chance of winning him some votes.
