Zohran Mamdani Proposes Taxing 'Whiter Neighborhoods' in NYC

[Polybius]

New York City's Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has said he wants to "shift the tax burden" to "richer and whiter neighborhoods" if he secures election in November.

A housing policy document on Mamdani's official website includes a pledge to "shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods."

Mamdani's proposal has already sparked a backlash with one conservative commentator branding him racist and urging New Yorkers to support incumbent Mayor Eric Adams instead, who is running in November as an independent.

The New York mayoral election campaign has already turned bitter with several Republicans suggesting Mamdani, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Uganda, should be stripped of his American citizenship and deported.

Read more...

[BeyondGeography]

2. I know you're upset that Mamdani won

Does that mean you will be using wingnut thread titles cut-and-pasted from RW rags now?

[Samael13]

7. Newsweek is generally considered centrist

[BeyondGeography]

8. The poster is ashamed to put a clean Newsweek link in the OP because he knows better than you

[Samael13]

25. What do you mean a clean newsweek link

The link in the op goes to Newsweek

[Celerity]

29. they embedded the Newsweek link in text so you cannot see it is Newsweek without clicking it:

it is link-washing

they posted

instead of just posting

https://www.newsweek.com/zohran-mamdani-proposes-taxing-whiter-neighborhoods-nyc-2091452

[Polybius]

37. That's not why I did it though

If you search a lot of my op's here in General Discussion, you'll see that I do it a lot when I'm posting news articles. The only reason that I posted it here is because it was more than 12 hours old. Believe me, I would have much preferred to post it in LBN.

[Igel]

38. Depends. I don't click on links until I know the URL.

Then again, I have a cursor and can scroll over it because the interface lets me.

(I guess on a cell phone I'd be offended by actually seeing something that I don't agree with. The pain, the pain.)

[Kingofalldems]

44. No surprise here.

[Callie1979]

103. Lots of people post "read more" links. Its not a conspiracy. nt

[Celerity]

144. Non sequitur. I never said it was a conspiracy. You seem, based off your multiple replies, really invested in defending

the use of MAGAt Josh Hammer's shit RW rag.

Strange choice of sources to defend, but your mileage may vary.

[Polybius]

34. I like to make it look pretty, without a messy link

Last edited Sat Jun 28, 2025, 02:40 PM - Edit history (1)

I did a search before I posted, and it said Newsweek is centrist. I know that Newsmax is right-wing.

Is Newsweek Right or Left?

[Fiendish Thingy]

57. I guess if you squint, and average the accurate articles with the RWNJ ones

You could make a flimsy case that they are a centrist publication.

Newsweek is the rag the gave John Eastman space to make his case that Harris wasn’t eligible to be VP because her parents weren’t born in the US.

A publisher and editorial staff who allow that to be published cannot in any way be considered to be centrist.

[Celerity]

71. Newsweek is RW MAGAt run (Josh 'Jews Against Soros' Hammer)

see:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220439616#post27



plus

https://www.newsweek.com/we-are-jews-against-soros-opinion-1805473

George Soros is an evil man. In fact, he is one of the most evil men currently shaping American and Western politics, and global events more generally.

To straightforwardly opine in this manner is not to traffick in antisemitism or noxious Jew-baiting. It is simply to share one's perspective about one of the most influential political donors, "philanthropists," and social activists in the world—someone who doles out countless sums to undermine and reshape in his dystopian image entire countries, spreading across at least five separate continents.

It is frankly astounding that this even needs to be said. I am a Jewish columnist, podcaster, and public speaker. As such, I routinely share my opinions as a basic feature of my job. I imagine some of those opinions are provocative—perhaps highly so—for a subset of the population, especially those of a left-of-center bent. Some (very) small percentage of my critics may hate me and hate my opinions because I am Jewish, but it is surely the case that the overwhelming majority of my critics disagree with me on the merits of my ideas and contributions to the public discourse. Unless I have a compelling reason to believe a specific critic is acting out of rank bigotry, I operate from a baseline presumption that the critic is not a Jew-hater, but simply disagrees with my position.

Again, this should be obvious. But for far too many, it is apparently not obvious—at least when it comes to criticism of George Soros.

snip

[LearnedHand]

130. Newsweek is right-center bias

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/newsweek/

[David__77]

10. Newsweek Embraces the Anti-Democracy Hard Right

From Southern Poverty Law Center

https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/newsweek-embraces-anti-democracy-hard-right/

[Emile]

17. So centrists are racists?

[Celerity]

27. Newsweek is a RW rag, Sr Editor is Josh Hammer, a hardcore MAGAt who platforms white nationalists, christofashies, etc

Newsweek Embraces the Anti-Democracy Hard Right







https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2022/11/04/newsweek-embraces-anti-democracy-hard-right



Although opinion pages in ostensibly nonpartisan, mainstream publications promote political opinions, sometimes controversial ones, Newsweek stands alone among such brands in its willingness to elevate such figures as Jack Posobiec, known for promoting the Pizzagate disinformation campaign, and Dinesh D’Souza, whose film 2000 Mules researchers roundly debunked for spreading conspiracies about the 2020 election. Under Hammer’s leadership, Newsweek has also aired bigoted views, like appearing to call for the state to deny adults access to trans-affirming medical care and supporting a ban on all legal immigration into the U.S. They have also spread baseless conspiracies about COVID-19, with one of Hammer’s collaborators describing vaccines designed to fight the virus as a “bioweapon.”

Newsweek has also failed to disclose potential conflicts of interest emerging in the content published through Hammer’s opinion section and his Newsweek-branded podcast, “The Josh Hammer Show.” Hammer donated to the campaign of Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters and at least four times published the work of a man who ran one of Masters’ fundraisers. On his podcast, Hammer told Newsweek’s audience to “go ahead and vote for Blake Masters.” Hammer also promoted hard-right Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán in a Newsweek dispatch authored from Hungary, without disclosing that he arrived there in collaboration with a group directly affiliated with the Hungarian government. Hammer also claims membership in a number of reactionary activist groups, and regularly publishes people who are also affiliated with them. He will appear on behalf of the New York Young Republican Club alongside Posobiec and QAnon influencer-turned-congressperson Marjorie Taylor Greene in December.

Hatewatch reached out to Newsweek for comment about the reporting published in this analysis. Newsweek first introduced Hatewatch to a representative of the journalism-focused non-profit Poynter, whom they contracted to advise them on ethics in 2019. Hatewatch had three different conversations with Poynter about Newsweek and their relationship, which are detailed later in this analysis. A representative from the public relations agency LBG PR replied asking for our questions. Hatewatch responded by emailing 19 different specific questions inspired by the reporting in this analysis, and LBG PR issued the following statement in reply:







Blake Masters, the Republican candidate for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat, has emerged as a favored candidate of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and other admirers of fascism. (One of his major donors, tech billionaire Peter Thiel, has said he no longer believes freedom and democracy are “compatible.”) The notorious white supremacist website American Renaissance has republished versions of stories about Masters’ controversies from other outlets, drawing cheers from their notoriously racist comment section. White nationalist Nick Fuentes, who praises such fascist dictators as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, also supports Masters. Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin of the hate site The Daily Stormer wrote to his fans about Masters in June:



snip

present day:

https://www.newsweek.com/transgender-case-can-scotus-cut-moral-heart-issue-opinion-1996483

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[dalton99a]

53. +1. Hammer cofounded Jews Against Soros

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Hammer

[Fiendish Thingy]

58. The reality-based community thanks you once again

[Callie1979]

104. So this story cant be found elsewhere? because his website says exactly what the story SAYS it does

but there's 30 posts arguing about the source.
Good lord no wonder we have such a hard time beating these thugs.

[Celerity]

117. According to your logic we can post Fox News or Daily Caller, etc as long as other sites also cover the story

[Callie1979]

140. Thats ups to you. I want factual stories.

Its ridiculous to see so many people up in arms over a NEWSWEEK link being used when the STORY is true.
But we both know those 2 aren't allowed here regardless of the story.

[Wiz Imp]

30. Newsweek ain't remotely Centrist

They may have been at one time but have moved and continue to move to the hard right extreme.

[Samael13]

35. Im going on the chart here

https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart

[Wiz Imp]

46. Sites like that are all biased toward the right

Last edited Sat Jun 28, 2025, 08:15 PM - Edit history (1)

A good rule of thumb is to shift their ratings at least 1 1/2 categories to the right to get an accurate representation. If they rate something as centrist, that guarantees it's a consistent mouthpiece for right wing views.

I mean, CNN, Politico, CNBC, etc. rated Left? That's a total joke.

[muriel_volestrangler]

82. That site is laughable.

Politico "leans left"? No way. Bloomberg "leans left"? No way. Zero Hedge only "leans" right? No way. It's nose-deep in Trump. As others in the thread have pointed out, Newsweek's opinion section is far-right - further than Fox News, for instance. Their news reporting is hit and miss, but can't be said to end up in the centre, because sometimes it's right-slanted.

[BlueTsunami2018]

41. By whom?

They’ve gone full on fascist enabler since they were bought.

[Samael13]

42. This is where i look

https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart

[Fiendish Thingy]

54. No it's not considered centrist

Newsweek is the rag that gave John Eastman (yes, that John Eastman) considerable space and ink to make his case in 2020 that Harris was not eligible to be VP because her parents weren’t born in the US.

[Luvcatz14]

60. No it is not!

Note this article from The Southern Poverty Law Center:

“Newsweek positioned political activist Josh Hammer to run their opinion pages during the runup to the 2020 presidential election, and since that time, the publication has taken a marked radical right turn by buoying extremists and promoting authoritarian leaders.”

Here’s the link: https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/newsweek-embraces-anti-democracy-hard-right/

[gordianot]

102. Considered centrist hard right in my opinion.

[Samael13]

3. Yeah that's gonna help him in the general election

Foot meet bullet

[Samael13]

139. As a resident of the city

I wasnt big on him or Cuomo but am gonna vote for him in the general as the democratic candidate but its unforced errors like this that lose support and give ammunition to the other side not just to use in the mayoral race but nationwide this is something that'll get plastered everywhere and used to paint democrats in every race

[David__77]

4. Ah, complaints of "reverse racism" in an article dripping with racist shit.

[SSJVegeta]

9. 💯

[SSJVegeta]

5. He didnt say what the title of the newsweek article is saying he said, though

Why do they give such a misleading title?


Seems he is saying richer, whiter neighborhoods should offset the burden that less afluent, immigrant and minority populated neighborhoods overextend themselves trying to meet.

[MichMan]

33. Why the deliberate use of the term "whiter"?

[muriel_volestrangler]

83. Because they're saying that Black and Latino neighborhoods are paying an unfair amount

Why does the City tax family homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods like Jamaica,
Brownsville, and Tremont more than it does in wealthier neighborhoods of the city? Why
are luxury condos and co-ops significantly underpaying taxes while moderately priced
condos and coops foot the bill? The answer lies in our arcane property system, which
generates 45 percent of the City’s tax revenue but is inequitable and inconsistent.

The city’s wealthiest pockets pay just a fraction of their just tax bill because assessed
values are artificially capped to stay low while actual market values soar. That means
neighborhoods where the cost of home ownership has skyrocketed, and only the richest
New Yorkers can afford to buy, pay a relative pittance in taxes. Their lower rates are made
up by climbing taxes in other parts of the city. Condos and coops owners also face
significant inequities. Due to a state law passed in 1981, condos and co-ops are valued
according to whatever the Department of Finance determines are comparable rentals, a
comparison that heavily favors luxury and super-luxury apartments. Take for example,
220 Central Park South, the most expensive home ever sold in the United States, which
the Department valued at $9.4 million despite its staggering $228 million sale price.
Taxing this property at its market value would raise $3 million per year alone.

The Mamdani administration will address this deeply inequitable system, using the full
power of the mayor’s office to both address the system directly and working with
legislators at the state level to win necessary reforms. In the long term, these changes
will include implementing much of the New York City Advisory Commission on Property
Tax Reform’s 2021 recommendations which are comprehensive. However, shorter term,
immediate relief is necessary. The administration will:

● Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more
expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods: The property tax system is
unbalanced because assessment levels are artificially capped, so homeowners in
expensive neighborhoods pay less than their fair share. The Mayor can fix this by
pushing class assessment percentages down for everyone and adjusting rates up,
effectively lowering tax payments for homeowners in neighborhoods like Jamaica
and Brownsville while raising the amount paid in the most expensive Brooklyn
brownstones.
...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iGn9ws9Ds0x_3kkB1tdM2pxLlbkPtT0k/view

[cadoman]

151. that document is worth reading

A few examples would really help though. It's not sensible to just say that market value should be the assessed value. No one could afford property if that were the case.

[Callie1979]

106. Its a ridiculous self-own. This guy is gonna be a gift to the grifters.

[Callie1979]

105. why use the term "whiter"? He could've easily listed the neighborhoods affected.

its yet another "own goal"

[Mosby]

6. I don't think focussing on race is a good strategy.

[thought crime]

159. I don't think any reasonable person could be offended by her remark in that context.

But thank you for linking to that article. As usual when Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks, it's time to listen and learn.

[SSJVegeta]

12. Good. He is not

Socioeconomics is not race.

[David__77]

15. The article has heavy emphasis of Mamdani's race and citizenship status along with publicizing pleas of white victimhood

[tman]

13. Even if you somehow think this is a good idea...

It's a terrible electoral strategy and toxic to the party more broadly.

[SSJVegeta]

14. He will win in a landslide, in part because of this strategy.

(Which he used to win the dem nomination)

[dem4decades]

18. And the US House will remain Republican too, because of that strategy.

[SSJVegeta]

20. The US House is Republican for the opposite reason.

And will flip to a landslide win for Dems IF they use his broader strategy of economic populism.

[SSJVegeta]

67. If that were the case, Trump would never have won with a trifecta. Twice.

[SSJVegeta]

69. Just the fsct that any populism regardless of whether it is racially charged, is enormously successful

...when anger at the stablishment parties is so palpable.

But economic/ democratic (small d) populism in the same is even more so. But also, I disagree that discussing socioeconomics while alluding to racial inequality is actually being racially charged any more than Obama running for president as a black personwas being racially charged.

[SSJVegeta]

79. Oh totally. Any populist has to be fully inclusive to be successful. Even the extreme nationalism as trump has an

Inclusive narrative against what he deems as a common enemy.

But I disagree that Mamdani discussing socioeconomic policies acknowledging racial inequality as an issue is in any way making a specific race the focus of his campaign. In fact, his campaign has specifically been providing comprehensive policy solutions to address many of the endemic injustices of every demographic group within the community. For instance, he has proposed funding and support for addressing hate crimes within the Jewish community of new york and increasing city resources to address security concerns within those neighborhoods. While he clearly is in favor of taxing wealthier neighborhoods, he has also proposed an incredibly wide ranging array of proposals that focus on the needs of every demographic. This kind of strategy was successful in the primaries, and will be more so in the general.

But not because it is jsut NYC, but because NYC has become a microcosm for the general anger against the establishment throughout the entire country.

[SSJVegeta]

95. Obama was a member of Wrights church and likely agreed with those views. He said so in many different ways when speaking

About race. So when he denounced those views, I do not think he was being true to himself or to the Americans he was trying to represent. It worked for him then -particularly because the faith people had in America then was substantially higher than now. Now, the vast majority of people tend to agree that this country has and is struggling in major ways and are willing (craving, really) to get behind people willing to admit that in any way.

It seems counterintuitive that a politicians would be successful crapping on the country he is trying to represent. But Trump is one of the most successful politicians in history and he craps on his country and constituents daily. In a period of America where we are now: Where the vast majority of Americans are distraught and furious over the current state of living, greed and injustice, people are unlikely to abandon a politcian or kick him out because he criticizes his country. These days? It is likely to make them more popular. That was absolutely not the case in 2008 because it was still a very different time.

[SSJVegeta]

148. How is that a leap when the majority of Americans voted for a guy who has done only that for the last 12 years?

Last edited Sun Jun 29, 2025, 09:45 AM - Edit history (2)

It isnt about "crapping on the country," so much as it is to admit a basic reality that our institutions have stopped working for the vast majority of people.

People are angry right now. Ignoring the reasons behind that anger, let alone ignoring the anger, is the best way for those politicians you speak of to see themselves out.

[JustAnotherGen]

133. Tom Kean Jr in the NJ-7th

Had ads tying Malinowski and Altman to "radical NYC Congresswoman AOC". Without traffic - I can be at the Secaucus train station in 40 minutes and in midtown in 15 to 20.

What is said by NYC Democrats gets attached to swing districts in NYC adjacent states.

When he wins, he better straighten up and fly right and not fuck up any districts in upstate NY, CT or NJ.

This makes me VERY happy that Sherrill won the Gov Primary this month - even though I was a Baraka supporter. Mamdani would have been tied to his back.

[tman]

19. He'll win because it's NYC and he has/had no credible opposition.

[SSJVegeta]

23. Funny you think the Mayor of NYC and recent governor are not credible opposition

Even more interesting that you seem to think he is the only credible candidate.

[tman]

28. lol, let's not pretend cuomo and Adams were ever credible candidates.

[LisaL]

92. Don't say hop until you jump over.

He didn't win anything (other than a democratic party nomination). Cuomo is running as an independent.

[Polybius]

45. A lot of DU users who live in NYC live in white neighborhoods

Mine in over 90% white.

[Samael13]

143. Very shortsighted

I remember everyone saying Clinton would win and Harris would win and anyone saying lets not act like its wrapped up was demonized and a ell we see what happened.

[fujiyamasan]

128. It may play in a city where registered democrats make up over 60%

Given how much attention NYC politics receives from the national press (due to so much media being based there), this won’t play all that well for democrats in swing districts and states next year.

[TheBadWolf]

16. The establishment thanks you for your service. n/t

[Polybius]

40. They are quite welcome n/t

[purple_haze]

21. Blatant pandering

He probably did it for the lolz.

[Prairie Gates]

22. Mamdani is the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York

He deserves the protections on this board as any other Democratic nominee.

[Polybius]

43. If he says something, we are allowed to post it

I just posted an article, which stated what he said. I didn't offer my opinion at all.

[Torchlight]

99. Sounds serious

[Polybius]

108. Yep

[Cha]

147. The same goes for Democrats who are out there

in Congress working for us.. like Sen Schumer and Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

[Prairie Gates]

165. For sure...support Democrats means support Democrats

I do think this board has historically shown a special interest in Democratic primaries not being relitigated during the general election season, though, especially if it is primary losers continuing to attack primary winners in a way that's intended to hurt their election chances. So, yes, of course, support Democrats, but especially those in a current election who may have just come out of a contentious primary, right?

[Passages]

24. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

This nonsense will not work.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

26. whew there is a LOT going on in this thread

[tulipsandroses]

31. Wow, some folks are working overtime to tank his campaign huh? Context matters and please lets not all of a sudden

act like racial inequities do not exist.
Ask yourself why you should be upset that asking that things be more equitable is a bad thing.

RBG talked about needing raced based solutions for race based problems. Funny, folks seem to abandon that when they don't like the candidate.

[Ping Tung]

32. What if the idea becomes popular in other states??? Is Mag -a-largo in a white neighborhood? Or the While House?

[Ping Tung]

47. The plan to tax the more monied parts of New York.

The comfort of the rich relies on an abundance of the poor. Voltaire

[Ping Tung]

73. I'm not a New Yorker. I am white, middle class, and pay my taxes.

I think that taxation should be fair for all. Stats show that white people are generally more prosperous than others. I also agree with the axiom "Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society." I often question how civilized our society is and I do complain about ill-spent taxes that that don't contribute to "civilization" as I see it.

He may have said it differently to appease the white people but unless they are blind to the obvious "white privilege " that exists. "Practical politics" often surrenders to "the end justifies the means" rather than just telling the truth.

[JI7]

49. He is tryng to appeal to black and latino voters

he already has the wealthy left leaning white voters. The other wealthy white voters are not going to vote for him.

More importantly he needs the black, latino, and working class voters. This might be his way of letting them know that they don't have to worry about paying more.

[Polybius]

51. What about middle class or poor folks who live in white neighborghoods?

I'm one of them. There's also a young black couple across the street from me. They are server's in a restaurant, and rent the basement apartment from someone who owns the house. What about them? They clearly aren't rich.

[Fiendish Thingy]

64. Did you miss the conjunction?

He said “richer AND whiter”, not “richer OR whiter”

?si=x7kgWw97PURsIAUO

White folks in your neighborhood needn’t worry about higher taxes under Mamdani…

[JI7]

66. I'm not sure about nyc specifically but white people

in most of the country tend to vote Republican. My guess is he has more to lose if he doesn't get enough black and latino voters. And the number of white voters that are undecided and would consider voting for him are very small.

[Nixie]

50. So it's not tax the rich anymore?

Just tax white people in nicer neighborhoods? His own words maybe need some work.

[marble falls]

59. It works for me, someone who looks depressingly like TACO. Remember it is written: from those who have more, more ...

... is expected.

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” Luke 12:48.

[marble falls]

65. It has nothing to with you or me. It has to do with the individual and their conscience.

[Nixie]

111. Let's hope we get better messaging that attracts people to

our party. This kind of virtue signaling fell flat with the broader electorate.

[muriel_volestrangler]

84. No - read the quote. It's not "just tax white people in nicer neighborhoods".

The precise wording, as you know, was "richer and whiter neighborhoods". You don't get to say "his own words maybe need some work" when you're not reading them correctly.

(Clue: "richer" is not "nicer"; and you can't say "we tax white people", and they don't say that. They say a "richer and whiter neighborhood". Anyone living in those neighborhoods, regardless of skin color, would get taxed more, because, as the memo says, the valuations of expensive properties are currently capped - see #83. The richer neighborhoods are also whiter.)

[fujiyamasan]

88. Why even call out race then?

[muriel_volestrangler]

91. Because the system has been biased against non-white neighborhoods since 1981?

Sometimes, it's worth reminding people that not all inequality has yet been fixed.

[tulipsandroses]

100. Yep. More information

Tax System Penalizes Low-Income Communities and Upholds Racial Disparities: Properties worth under $300,000 per unit face an ETR three times higher than those worth over $1 million. Predominantly Black neighborhoods in NYC pay higher property tax rates than wealthier, whiter areas like Park Slope and the East Village.

https://www.cssny.org/news/entry/new-report-new-yorks-unfair-property-tax-system-on-its-50th-birthday

As much as we would like to believe, we don't live in a color blind society and institutional racism continues to harm people AND benefit some.
We are long overdue to have that honest discussion, that not only does racism harm minorities, even if you are not racist yourself, you may benefit from racist policies to the detriment of others. This is just one example.

[Nixie]

110. So " richer and white neighborhoods" are not nicer?

Is that the only nit you have to pick?

[muriel_volestrangler]

122. No, it's not the only nit I have to pick. See the rest of the post.

Though obviously you're not implying that "white(r)" makes a neighborhood any nicer. I wouldn't personally call a richer neighbourhood "nicer" either; it depends on your attitude to money and its effect on people, I guess.

[Nixie]

124. His own words. "Richer and WHITER neighborhoods" says

it all — they are nicer. So no need to browbeat people because they state the obvious — nicer neighborhoods are the “richer and whiter”.

I dud read that segment posted in this thread. Richer and whiter neighborhoods are compared to brown neighborhoods. Your whole attack here was completely unnecessary and just an obvious ploy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

125. I really advise you to stop putting "whiter" and "nicer" together.

It'll end in tears.

I have no idea what my "ploy" is supposed to be in aid of. You tried to change "increase taxes on richer and whiter neighborhoods" into "just tax white people in nicer neighborhoods". Which does not mean the same thing. If you see that correction as an "attack", I guess you feel defensive about changing the words. And you even tried to say that mean "it's not tax the rich anymore", despite the use of "richer" in the memo.

[Nixie]

132. His own words. "Richer and whiter" implies nicer.

Good luck trying to ‘splain to 5 million New York voters that “richer and whiter” means they are bad neighborhoods.

[fujiyamasan]

56. Arguments can be made for higher tax rates based on income

Last edited Sun Jun 29, 2025, 12:23 AM - Edit history (1)

but just shifting it based on location doesn’t feel particularly fair, and arguably racist.

[fujiyamasan]

80. That's a good reminder

Of bad policies in the past and why we shouldn’t revive them, regardless of which race it impacts.

Besides, I would expect any such policy to make its way to the SC and be struck down.

[karynnj]

70. Exactly especially with property taxes

They could even do it like Vermont does.

In Vermont, if your income is below a threshold you get a property tax reduction on your property tax on owner occupied primary residences. I think there is a parallel credit for renters.

So in two steps, you can do exactly that.
1) Raise the tax rate for all properties.
2) Counteract the raises for everyone, renters and home owners, below some threshold - using a taper that gives less as you approach the threshold. ( Note depending how you do this you can lower the taxes (or rent) for people on the bottom.)

[Sogo]

62. What a stupid remark.

Does he WANT to lose? And take the entire party down with him????

[tulipsandroses]

72. Question for OP. Why not post the entirety of his policy so people can have an honest robust discussion?

For anyone interested

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iGn9ws9Ds0x_3kkB1tdM2pxLlbkPtT0k/view

[Nanjeanne]

74. Rather than reading what Newsweek says (and quickly picked up by the NY Post) - I'll read and listen to

Mamdani himself. He has already said he's for taxing wealthier people - and if they happen to be white wealthy people I'm fine with that (as a white person I applaud taxing the wealthy). If minorities are in those wealthier neighborhoods - then by all means tax them too. I fail to see the problem with taxing the wealthy - unless you want to be Newsweek or the NY Post and make it about white people. I guarantee you he isn't going to tax the white person living on 65th and Park Avenue in a nice apartment more than the black person living on 65th and Park in the apartment next door.

I'm still waiting for someone to post the interview or the policy paper where Mamdani says what Newsweek and NY Post say. I can't find the policy paper where he says this or in what context it was said or what the full statement is. I'd love it if anyone can find Mamdani actually saying or writing this and the full context of it. I've been to his website and searched his 7 page tax policy but the word white appears no where. Anyone?

[Polybius]

76. "If minorities are in those wealthier neighborhoods - then by all means tax them too"

The problem with that is that there are poor and middle class people living in wealthy neighborhoods too.

[Nanjeanne]

81. Can you please post the actual video/audio/tax policy paper where he says this? I've searched and can't find it

anywhere. I read his 7 page tax policy and the word white doesn't appear. If he said it in an interview, I'd like to see the whole interview so I can read the context. You can repeat over and over again what Newsweek or the Post said.

And you do know how taxes work regarding property tax which would be the only way he could possibly tax wealthier neighborhoods? In every city/town/district that pays property taxes - there is a tax rate for everyone living there. I'm a senior living in a town that houses many wealthy people. Our homes are assessed and taxes paid accordingly. My tax rate is high and it has nothing to do with my race. Nothing in this article that you posted explains HOW Mamdani is planning on taxing white people more? The mayor of NYC doesn't typically get to raise property taxes on his own. Nor can a mayor unilaterally raise sales taxes. So please tell me how Mamdani as the mayor proposes to tax white people. Surely wherever this supposed quote comes from - there is more context to help us understand what this means - if he actually said it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

85. See #83 - with an excerpt leading up to the paragraph concerned (nt)

[Nanjeanne]

89. Thank you. The whole context is so important particularly regarding the way taxes are assessed. He is

exactly right in his proposal. That whole section is well thought out and presented.

Boy Newsweek/NYPost really had to do a deep dive and google search for the word "white" to turn this thorough, bold and worthwhile proposal into a racist screed.

[MichMan]

154. He also says that if Benjamin Netanyahu sets foot in NYC, he will have him arrested

Arrested for what? Does he believe that the mayor has the power to arrest a foreign leader?

[muriel_volestrangler]

158. For the ICC arrest warrant, of course. Sadly, the US government has decided to aid international criminals

by not signing up to the ICC, so I don't think the New York mayor would have any chance of doing this in practice. But the thought is appreciated. If the US government had better morals, they'd arrest him. Being a foreign leader doesn't give you a get-out-of-jail-free card.

[Nanjeanne]

161. That's another reason I would vote for him. The ICC issued the arrest warrants for war crimes.

[MichMan]

166. Must be different in NYC

In my area, mayors don't have the power to arrest people.

[Nanjeanne]

168. It's not a question of whether the mayor could or could not - I applaud him for wanting to arrest a war criminal.

[Incanus]

86. Did you even read the policy proposal on his website?

"Advocate for the inclusion of "circuit breakers" to ensure that low- and
moderate-income homeowners, like many of our seniors living in gentrifying
neighborhoods, are not cost-burdened by the changes."

The Newsweek article quoted a racist tweet from a despicable magat and didn't include a link to the website, instead they focused on someone who referred to the Democratic candidate as a "Ugandan" and "radical Muslim" because their target audience is low information magat voters.

https://www.zohranfornyc.com/platform

[tulipsandroses]

87. I'm confused. This is about property tax. Poor people own property in more affluent neighborhoods?

In the context of where and how this was said. What do you say about the inequities of property taxes in poorer neighborhoods that happen to be mostly minority neighborhoods? All of that was skipped over by Newsweek.

Why does the City tax family homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods like Jamaica,
Brownsville, and Tremont more than it does in wealthier neighborhoods of the city? Why
are luxury condos and co-ops significantly underpaying taxes while moderately priced
condos and coops foot the bill? The answer lies in our arcane property system, which
generates 45 percent of the City’s tax revenue but is inequitable and inconsistent.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iGn9ws9Ds0x_3kkB1tdM2pxLlbkPtT0k/view

This pearl clutching and hand wringing is completely unnecessary. - Unless you just don't care that minorities have been getting shafted.

New Report: New York’s Unfair Property Tax System on its 50th Birthday
The Community Service Society and the Progress and Poverty Institute Unveil Landmark Study on a half-century of Tax Inequities

The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) and the Progress and Poverty Institute (PPI) have released a report, "Footing the Bill: Fifty Years of NYC Overtaxing Tenants, Towers, and Low-Income Communities of Color." Marking the 50th anniversary of the Hellerstein v. Town of Islip decision, which forced a restructuring of NYC’s property tax code, the report exposes how the system has since evolved into a regressive and inequitable framework that disproportionately burdens renters, communities of color, and large multifamily buildings.

https://www.cssny.org/news/entry/new-report-new-yorks-unfair-property-tax-system-on-its-50th-birthday

[Polybius]

109. Inheritance

I was lucky enough to have been left a house. I make $75k a year.

[tulipsandroses]

112. OK then. In terms of equity - Someone making 40K in Southside Jamaica may be paying more in property taxes

So what should be done about that?

[Polybius]

113. I'm all for taxing the hell out of the rich

I would make it based on salary.

[tulipsandroses]

135. I doubt that would work - Too many tax loopholes when it comes to income tax.

Business owners can decide their own personal salary. Jeff Bezos paid himself 80K a year in salary.

[EarlG]

120. I've pasted the whole thing here

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220439616#post114

It's worth a read.

[Kingofalldems]

77. Bad Things About Democrats.

[Norrrm]

78. Mamdani does not have a prayer but that shows how bad his competition is to get this far.

[Beastly Boy]

93. I can't believe all the effort going into bashing one source while not commenting on the content.

If anyone doesn't like Newsweek, here's a link covering the same story from Mediaite, a left-leaning high credibility source:

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/nyc-mayoral-frontrunner-zohran-mamdani-boasts-about-plan-to-tax-whiter-neighborhoods-at-higher-rates/

What fucking difference did this make?

[betsuni]

98. It's ridiculous! Must Kill the Messenger Must Kill the Messenger Fake News Fake News -- like they're programmed.

Everything has be some kind of conspiracy. Either it's on his website or not.

[delisen]

94. All New Yorkers in outer boroughs have been 2nd class citizens

The key phrase is outer boroughs: Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island,.
Mamdani seeks to make life better for all the people in these boroughs as opposed to the Manhattan billionaire class , which is increasingly run by and for billionaires, both foreign and domestic

[DFW]

96. If the tax system is unfair and inequitable, by all means, advocate reform

But using the expression “whiter neighborhoods” is something I’d expect to hear from a MAGAT candidate in Oklahoma, not a Democrat in a proudly multi-culti city like New York. If he admits it was a poor choice of words, OK, he’s a newbie, give him a pass. If he sticks to his statement as made, he’s not ready for prime time, and I don’t care who has endorsed him.

[tulipsandroses]

107. That's because it is being framed that way by those who want to further demonize Mamdani

Would you read this and think these folks are MAGATS?

Tax System Penalizes Low-Income Communities and Upholds Racial Disparities: Properties worth under $300,000 per unit face an ETR three times higher than those worth over $1 million. Predominantly Black neighborhoods in NYC pay higher property tax rates than wealthier, whiter areas like Park Slope and the East Village
https://www.cssny.org/news/entry/new-report-new-yorks-unfair-property-tax-system-on-its-50th-birthday

He's basically saying the same thing from this report.

[EarlG]

118. As far as I know he has not made a statement about this

The article in the OP is about a sentence fragment from a lengthy policy document, framed as if Mamdani has suddenly gone all "kill whitey" on everyone.

The full text of the document is pasted below. I recommend checking out the whole thing before passing judgment.

[DFW]

129. Will do, thanks. n/t

[Callie1979]

101. Yet another gift to the party of Putin. And yes, his website SAYS exactly that.

[EarlG]

114. If anyone is interested

Here is the full text of the actual policy document. It's quite long, so you never know, but it's possible that highlighting just a couple of sentence fragments from it might give people an incomplete picture of what this is all about.

I hope everyone who has posted in this thread takes the time to read the full document.

Stop the Squeeze on NYC Homeowners

Nearly a third of New Yorkers own the place they call home. Yet, while purchasing a home is a dream for many New Yorkers, mounting costs squeeze homeowners across the city. Twenty-five percent of all NYC homeowners spend more than half their income on housing costs, placing many of those families behind on payments. That’s a burden felt most acutely in our city’s immigrant communities and Black and Latino neighborhoods, where foreclosure rates are highest, homeowners are behind on bills, and the city is hanging them out to dry.

Prior to becoming an Assemblymember, Zohran worked directly with these New Yorkers to keep them in their homes, serving as a Foreclosure Prevention Housing Counselor at Chhaya CDC. He knows how the city’s property tax system favors wealthier homeowners in gentrifying neighborhoods, has seen how the tax lien sale system leads to families losing their homes, recognizes how deed theft is displacing entire communities, and understands how the city lets speculators and slumlords box working class New Yorkers out of homes. And he has a plan to fix it as Mayor.

The Mamdani administration will:

● Create the Office of Deed Theft Prevention

● Fix the property tax system

● Help co-op and condo owners comply with Local Law 97

● End the tax lien sale

● Pass COPA to give CLTs and non-profits the right of first refusal when landlords sell

● Support co-ops and CLTs

● Create more first-time homeowners

Create the Office of Deed Theft Prevention

White collar criminals are stealing homes from families who have lived in New York for decades. As Wall Street money floods rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods of New York, scammers are using every trick in the book to separate homeowners —especially seniors, immigrants, and Black New Yorkers—from their homes. Since 2014, there have been approximately 3,500 complaints of deed theft in NYC, primarily in Brooklyn and Queens, robbing working class homeowners and their families of equity, housing stability, and peace of mind. While the state legislature gave officials more power to intervene in deed theft cases in 2023, homeowners remain vulnerable, and deed thieves have plenty of incentive to operate.

The Mamdani administration will protect homeowners against these scam artists by creating the Office of Deed Theft Prevention. The Office, equipped with roughly $10 million in funding, will coordinate all city enforcement mechanisms to stop deed theft in progress while conducting outreach across all five boroughs to prevent deed theft and support homeowners, focusing on neighborhoods where deed theft is especially rampant. This new office will utilize the 2023 state laws, which allow a local government agency to investigate deed theft cases. Once that investigation is underway, the office can file a motion to stay an eviction or foreclosure proceeding, at which point the courts are legally required to halt it. The Mamdani administration’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention will hire investigators, forensic accountants, and attorneys to stand up for families who are the target of fraud.

The Office’s staff will report the findings of these investigations to the court, and will also refer appropriate cases to the district attorney and Attorney General’s office to pursue justice. The new office will also conduct analyses of the state of deed theft across the city, and make recommendations for appropriate legislation and enforcement remedies. The Office of Deed Theft Prevention will also hire outreach staff to lead a public campaign to prevent deed theft. Outreach workers will help homeowners to sign up for ACRIS alerts that notify them of changes to the deed or property. They will also work with the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit and the Department of Aging to conduct robust outreach to reach homeowners in the places they convene — like churches and block associations. The Office will also fund partners like Center for NYC Neighborhoods’ Homeowner Helpdesk and Black Homeownership Project, which provide estate planning services for Black New Yorkers.

Along with the efforts of The Office of Deed Theft Prevention, the Mamdani administration will work with state partners to pass legislation that empowers victims. The administration will push for a one-year suspension on the statute of limitations for deed theft cases, allowing the victims of deed theft to seek justice in the wave of cases that followed the financial crash of 2008. And it will advocate for victims’ rights to sue the person or corporation that stole their deed through “unfair or deceptive practices,” rather than the much higher standard that currently exists. Victims would be able to receive fair compensation through these actions, including increased damages and attorneys’ fees.

Create a Tangled Title Fund

The Mamdani administration will also work to relieve the stress of tangled titles, which happens when someone lives in a home they believe to be theirs but their name is actually not on the deed. This commonly happens when a loved one dies and a relative inherits a property, but their name never makes it onto official records. Such situations can throw a house into probate and leave a family’s right to the home they rightfully own in legal limbo. Predominantly Black neighborhoods have higher rates of tangled titles than white neighborhoods.

The Mamdani administration will create a $10 million Tangled Title Fund, modeled after the successful program in Philadelphia that provides homeowners with grants to work with attorneys who can clear the title of their home and allow them to properly plan their estate and claim all the benefits of homeownership.

Fix the Property Tax System

Why does the City tax family homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods like Jamaica, Brownsville, and Tremont more than it does in wealthier neighborhoods of the city? Why are luxury condos and co-ops significantly underpaying taxes while moderately priced condos and coops foot the bill? The answer lies in our arcane property system, which generates 45 percent of the City’s tax revenue but is inequitable and inconsistent.

The city’s wealthiest pockets pay just a fraction of their just tax bill because assessed values are artificially capped to stay low while actual market values soar. That means neighborhoods where the cost of home ownership has skyrocketed, and only the richest New Yorkers can afford to buy, pay a relative pittance in taxes. Their lower rates are made up by climbing taxes in other parts of the city. Condos and coops owners also face significant inequities. Due to a state law passed in 1981, condos and co-ops are valued according to whatever the Department of Finance determines are comparable rentals, a comparison that heavily favors luxury and super-luxury apartments. Take for example, 220 Central Park South, the most expensive home ever sold in the United States, which the Department valued at $9.4 million despite its staggering $228 million sale price. Taxing this property at its market value would raise $3 million per year alone.

The Mamdani administration will address this deeply inequitable system, using the full power of the mayor’s office to both address the system directly and working with legislators at the state level to win necessary reforms. In the long term, these changes will include implementing much of the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform’s 2021 recommendations which are comprehensive. However, shorter term, immediate relief is necessary. The administration will:

● Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods: The property tax system is unbalanced because assessment levels are artificially capped, so homeowners in expensive neighborhoods pay less than their fair share. The Mayor can fix this by pushing class assessment percentages down for everyone and adjusting rates up, effectively lowering tax payments for homeowners in neighborhoods like Jamaica and Brownsville while raising the amount paid in the most expensive Brooklyn brownstones.

● Advocate for the inclusion of "circuit breakers" to ensure that low- and moderate-income homeowners, like many of our seniors living in gentrifying neighborhoods, are not cost-burdened by the changes.

● Stop treating co-ops and condos as if they were rentals: The Mamdani administration will work with state lawmakers to abolish Real Property Tax Law Section 581 which compares condos and coops to rental properties and creates arbitrary and inequitable tax burdens on moderate and low income owners.

Help Homeowners Comply with Local Law 97

Local Law 97 (LL97) was a historic win for climate justice, requiring buildings to reduce greenhouse emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050. Implementation to date has been sorely lacking, however, with little support for homeowners who cannot afford the improvements necessary to comply with the law and weak enforcement towards the large landlords and developers who can afford improvements but ignore the requirements.

It can be especially hard for market-rate cooperatives to comply with the full scope of LL97. These are New Yorkers who own homes but can be cost-burdened, who pay disproportionately high taxes, and whose fines often end up sold as debt to private equity for exploitation. Many large co-ops are also Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, making it even more difficult for buildings to meet their targets – even though these homeowners may especially desire the comfort and safety provided by electrification. The lack of sufficient support leaves homeowners to choose between expensive renovations or fines, all while failing to deliver on the important climate objectives of LL97.

In addition to exploring opportunities for city and state building retrofit subsidies, the Mamdani administration will help homeowners modernize their buildings and meet the ambition of LL97 by:

● Extending J-51 Tax Breaks: Last year, the city authorized a significantly improved J-51 tax break that allows eligible owners to deduct up to 70 percent of improvement costs from property tax expenses over 20 years. The credit can and should be used to support homeowners working to comply with LL97. However, J-51 is set to expire at the end of next year. The Mamdani administration will work with Albany lawmakers to extend the break until 2035 in order to pay for many of the retrofits and improvements LL97 requires.

● Reducing J-51 application fees: The J-51 application costs $85 per unit. That might not sound like much, but at scale, it can significantly diminish the value of the abatement. The Penn South complex, for instance, has over 2,800 units, and even a successful J-51 application would cost over $230,000. The Mamdani administration will reduce this application fee.

● Increase support for homeowners to comply with LL97, and create a one-stop shop for LL97 compliance: While big buildings run by the city’s richest landlords have staff to navigate LL97 requirements, buildings run by volunteer co-op boards need support to meet LL97’s important goals. The City rolled out the NYC Accelerator to support LL97 compliance and help homeowners and boards identify and make the improvements necessary to reduce energy emissions. The idea is smart, but the execution is lacking; in practice the Accelerator is understaffed and underfunded.

The Mamdani administration will increase investment in the Accelerator to turn it into a true one-stop shop for LL97 compliance needs. That includes providing 1:1 support for homeowners, supporting energy audits, helping submit J-51 applications, and leveraging economies of scale to bring costs down. For instance, it’s cheaper for the Accelerator to buy 10,000 heat pumps and sell them to New Yorkers at cost than it is for 10,000 households to buy that same heat pump at retail prices. Beyond these efficiencies, the Mamdani administration will also explore ways to offer financing avenues through the Accelerator for New Yorkers working to meet 2030 emissions requirements.

Use new tech to reduce emissions and unlock tax credits

The New York City Housing Authority ran a pilot to swap steam radiators for eco-friendly, electric heat pumps. The pumps, developed based on an RFP by NYCHA, drew universal praise as more comfortable and effective in the pilot. Best of all: the pilot program in Woodside Houses cut electrification costs in half and reduced energy usage by more than 87 percent, all while also providing air conditioning.

The Mamdani administration will work with the Accelerator to steer homeowners to solutions like these heat pumps that are affordable, effective, and unlock tax credits. It will also work to leverage new technology to identify other pathways to LL97 compliance.

End the Tax Lien Sale

If a homeowner falls behind on property taxes in the five boroughs, our City sells this debt to a trust of private investors for about 70 cents on the dollar, who then flip that debt to other investors. The investors balloon the debt owed by an average of 65 percent after purchasing it. They get rich on the backs of small homeowners behind on their bills. Too often, after they’ve extracted as much as possible, they’ll move to foreclose, pushing families out of their homes.

If that sounds like a system cooked up by Trump cronies, you’d be right: the tax lien sale is a relic of the Giuliani-era that has been a blight on our city for decades. Between 2017 and 2021, there were over 7,000 small homes that had their property tax debts sold in the lien sale. New York City is the only large city in the country that sells bonded liens to an investor-backed trust financed by Wall Street — privatizing the collection of municipal tax debt, a core government function. It’s past time to change that.

The Tax Lien Sale Scheme’s Racism

The tax lien sale has been particularly harmful to Black, brown, and working-class homeowners, leading many homeowners to lose their home to foreclosure, or forcing them to sell below market value in order to pay off their accumulating debts. The City is six times more likely to sell a tax lien in a Black neighborhood than a white neighborhood. This policy is extracting wealth from Black, brown, and working class communities and stripping New Yorkers of their homes.

The Mamdani administration will stop the tax lien sale on Day One. It will create a new tax collection system that provides additional opportunities for homeowners to enter into payment plans, pay down their debt, and stay in their homes without subjecting them to predatory speculators and exorbitant fees. It will also work with the City Council to permanently abolish the system.

Pass COPA to Give Community Land Trusts and Tenants’ Right of First Refusal When Landlords Sell

Residential, multifamily buildings in NYC have become big business for corporate landlords, slumlords, and big real estate investors. That means many NYC renters are trapped in a cycle of deteriorating living conditions, rising rents, and diminishing prospects to own a home as their absentee landlords extract more and more rent from their tenants. When the building is sold, tenants have no say in who buys the building, meaning many just end up in the hands of another slumlord.

The Mamdani administration will work with the City Council to pass the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), which gives qualified mission-driven nonprofits a first right to purchase multifamily buildings when landlords sell. Modeled on successful legislation implemented in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, COPA would level the playing field for local organizations to expand the supply of community-controlled housing and break the cycle of slumlord and investor-backed speculation. With tenant support, many of the purchases will convert buildings to affordable homeownership models, like community land trusts and limited-equity cooperatives, creating new opportunities for attainable homeownership in New York City.

The administration will also continue to champion the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), a state-level bill that Zohran has supported as an assemblymember. As Mayor, he will advocate for its passage and work with the state on implementation in the City.

How COPA Works

Under COPA, qualified buyers would be given up to 180 days to put together an offer to purchase a building from the landlord. If the landlord rejects the offer they can then seek third party offers from the market. After receiving a third-party offer, the qualified buyer will be given the chance to match the offer before the deal is finalized, known as a right of first refusal.

COPA benefits working-class tenants who live in multifamily buildings and want to have a say over who purchases their building or want to collectively own the building themselves It would help buildings like 63 Tiffany that are exiting affordability regulations like LIHTC or 421-a and may see large rent increases if sold to a profit-seeking landlord.

To finance acquisitions, qualified buyers can tap into the recently revived Neighborhood Pillars program, NYC Acquisition Fund, HCR funding, and private financing products from community development financial institutions and local banking partners.

Support Co-Ops and Community Land Trusts

Limited-equity cooperatives like Mitchell Lama and Housing Development Fund Corporations (HDFC) co-ops form the bedrock of New York City’s stock of social housing. These are housing programs designed to offer a path to ownership for low- and middle-income New Yorkers — but they’re getting less affordable. About 1,000 of NYC’s 1,200 HDFC co-ops receive a partial tax abatement called the DAMP Tax Cap, which expires in 2029, which hasn’t been applied equitably across the city, and which needs to be replaced with a new tax benefit that can sustain this vital housing long-term. And Mitchell-Lama co-ops need support to stabilize their buildings and invest in maintenance.

The Mamdani administration will provide co-ops with better, faster, and easier access to affordable CIty-backed loans for essential capital repairs and energy efficiency upgrades. Many of these buildings are badly overdue for repairs. HDFC co-ops are overwhelmingly prewar buildings that have received scattered capital investment since conversion. Similarly, Mitchell-Lama co-ops, mostly built 50 or more years ago, are due for repairs, but rising maintenance costs and assessments threaten to push some
shareholders out altogether.

Meanwhile, the Mamdani administration will also expand support for Community Land Trusts (CLTs). These are democratically-governed organizations that take land and housing off the speculative market to create and preserve affordable housing, including homeownership. There are over 20 CLTs in New York City, with many like East New York CLT, Interboro CLT, ReAL Edgemere CLT, and the Bronx CLT working on affordable homeownership and limited-equity cooperative ownership projects. Under Mayor Mamdani, the City will scale up this model to provide opportunities for affordable homeownership that builds community wealth and intergenerational equity while preserving permanent affordability.

It will do so by:

● Passing the Community Land Act to increase the pipeline of properties going to CLTs. That includes the Public Land for Public Good bill, which prioritizes CLTs and community-based nonprofits above for-profit developers when selling public land.

● Providing matching funds for the City Council’s Citywide CLT Initiative to increase total funding to $6 million annually in support of CLT operations and organizing.

● Directing HPD to prioritize CLTs for Neighborhood Pillars and other funding programs for acquisition and rehab.

● Seeding a $35 million CLT Acquisition & Rehab Fund. The administration will work with existing CLT networks, community development lenders, and foundations to develop the fund, based loosely on the Greater Boston CLT Fund.

Create More First-Time Homeowners

The most valuable thing our City can do for families looking to buy their first home is bring down costs. The Mamdani administration has a plan for that: free childcare, lower rent, and cheaper groceries will drastically bring down costs for working families which have spiraled out of control and put home ownership out of reach for far too many. The Mamdani administration’s agenda will save a working family tens of thousands of dollars a year, money that can help them save for a down payment, pay for other essentials, and stay in our city.

The Mamdani administration will also support first time home owners directly, working with state legislators to create a Mortgage Recording Tax Exemption for low- and middle-income families who are first-time homebuyers. That will level the playing field for homebuyers competing with all-cash buyers, and with investors who are only going to flip a house for a profit. The city and state currently impose a tax of 50 cents to $1 per $100 of financing to register a mortgage, a fee that adds up in a hurry. The Mamdani administration will create an exemption that helps more working families own their homes.

[Sympthsical]

141. A staffer should've caught that one

It really sticks out.

When speaking about demographics, politicians need to be affirming. They're providing relief, or making things fair, or giving equitable access. They're providing, adding, building.

When talking about the ethnicity of anyone, a punitive sentiment should not be a part of the verbiage. "We're going to tax white people more" sounds friggin horrible. I know people on the Twitter Left talk about white people in punitive terms, and it's kind of bizarrely accepted for some reason, but politicians absolutely should not speak that way - even in their policy papers.

That single line in what is a thorough, thoughtful, and comprehensive progressive policy left him open to this line of attack. It's unfortunate. Because it is a good policy as far as I understood it at a non-NYCer. And I firmly understood the intended meaning based on the full context of the paper.

But that shit's going to be in campaign ads.

[EarlG]

145. This is maybe a bit out of left field, but what if it's not a mistake?

I don’t disagree that the line in the policy paper is red meat for the other side. But what if it doesn’t matter?

Mamdani is talking about a real issue — predominantly non-white areas of NYC pay higher taxes than predominantly white areas, and he would like to fix the situation so it’s fair for everyone. As someone who believes that systemic racism is a real thing, that doesn’t surprise me, and I’d like to see a more equitable system too. (As a matter of principle — I don’t live in NYC.)

The stats are kind of all over the place but it looks like the white population of NYC is somewhere in the 30-40% range. Manhattan is almost entirely white.

So maybe telling the mostly-working-class non-white majority that you’re going to lower their taxes at the expense of the mostly-rich white minority isn’t going to be a campaign killer in a place like NYC.

Perhaps the days of playing broadly to the middle are gone for now. (You might agree that we saw the limits of that sort of strategy in the last presidential campaign.) In the age of Trump, maybe the lesson these younger politicians have learned is that if you stick to your guns on an issue that you’re pretty sure is going to drive turnout among your core voters, and your opponents are going nuts attacking you for it, then sticking to your guns just makes you a) look like more of a hero, b) drives your base to turn out, and c) brings more attention to your campaign.

Just spitballing. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[Sympthsical]

146. I agree, it could be very intentional

Given his politics, that's not exactly out of line with the kinds of verbiage used in those quarters. And as you note, given the context he prefaced the statement with in that paper, it's a consonant thought.

But I wonder about it solely because his base of support in the Democratic primary was . . . white people. People with a little affluence. AAPI. If he's going to play demographic swap in the middle of the general, well, we'll see what we see. Feels a little confused and risky. He'd have to win over more than he alienates.

It's difficult to have even peripheral clairvoyance about it until we know if Cuomo's going back in. Mamdani has a lot of power and money coming for him, and even small things like that can be exploited to hell and back.

But then, his opponents might be such a shitshow that it ultimately doesn't matter. I do wonder if there's going to be some voter backlash to the idea that the Powers That Be have zero interest in accepting the results of a democratic primary.

It is my understanding that New Yorkers do not enjoy being told what to do.

[Sympthsical]

150. He's got four months to clarify and make his case

A lot can happen in four months.

And it really depends if Cuomo comes in. I am choosing to very cautiously believe everyone in the party knows better. If he enters, the party is going to be in for it. And I think a lot of Democratic voters - particularly the younger ones - would see that kind of thing as an act of aggression by established power.

Talk about taunting your voters.

[fujiyamasan]

155. I have a feeling Adams and Cuomo

Will split the anti-Mamdani force. Silwa, the republican is a non starter in a city with ~65% democratic voter base. Perhaps Silwa voters would drift toward Adams anyways, due to his recent buddy-buddy with the administration.

I also don’t see too many establishment dems getting too involved even if Cuomo's campaign actually takes off. It sounds like he was a lazy campaigner anyways, Arrogant and entitled. Schumer and Jeffries both congratulated Mamdani. I don’t see it getting more extensive than that. They’re more concerned about their own chambers.

And that’s good for Mamdani too. He remains the outsider. The only issue is if it’s too racially charged it gets pretty messy for Dems nationwide. I still dread the “S” word being an albatross over dem candidates in Swing districts next year.

[Oneironaut]

115. Oh come on. It's obvious what he means.

He has said stupid stuff, but, he’s clearly talking about racial inequality and people paying their fair share.

“Zohran wants to tax white people based on their race!!1!” is such a bad faith take from his statement.

[EarlG]

119. He didn't even make a statement

The sentence fragment in question is from a lengthy policy document, which I've pasted in full just above. I recommend reading the whole thing.

[Oneironaut]

121. Thank you for posting! Will do

[True Dough]

116. We have bigger fish to fry.

Covie
@covie_93
Jun 27

A Muslim mayor of New York City doesn't bother me, a convicted felon running the country does.

[TacosUberAlles]

123. I don't know if I even want to wade into this discussion

Reading the replies is 🤐

I think context & nuance is important here. You really should've added in "richer and...."
I feel that's a very important part of the article which would clear the air entirely & not have people going bonkers.
For me, I understand it a lot better when that part is added because the fact is, let's be honest, the people who are wealthy do tend to be white. When we break it down the demographics of wealth in the United States, it shows massive glaringly significant disparities among racial groups.

I wish Mumdani would have brought up reparations which I do fully support.

A) Household Wealth: As of 2024, households with a white householder made up 65.3% of all U.S. households and held approximately 80.0% of all wealth in the country.

B) Billionaires: Among billionaires, about 65% are white. This demographic also tends to be predominantly male, with 90% of billionaires identifying as male.

C) And this is really staggering......Wealth Distribution: In previous years, white households owned around 85.5% of the total wealth, while Black households owned about 4.2% and Hispanic households owned approximately 3.1%.

Sources --

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/04/wealth-by-race.html

https://www.pewresearch.org/2023/12/04/wealth-gaps-across-racial-and-ethnic-groups/

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ten-facts-about-billionaires/

https://usafacts.org/articles/white-people-own-86-wealth-despite-making-60-population/

https://ncrc.org/whites-and-the-racial-wealth-divide-snapshot/

[muriel_volestrangler]

127. Reparations are really something to be discussed at national level

I can quite understand why a mayoral candidate talks about fixes for problems at the city level.

[JustAnotherGen]

157. They will

Never be discussed at the national level unless cities and states go first.

[TacosUberAlles]

163. That's very true

[TacosUberAlles]

162. There are several cities around the country

who have taken the steps to implement reparations.
The first of which is Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. In 2019, Evanston became the first city in the U.S. to pass a reparations resolution, providing funds to qualified Black residents for housing assistance.

This is a pretty good article about how reparations are being implemented at the local city level.
Cities Are Addressing the Past and Building Futures through Reparations

[TheFarseer]

126. No need to bring race into this

I want to tax rich black hedge fund managers just as much as white ones.

[ARandomPerson]

131. The language of that document is an invitation to a lawsuit.

If Mamdani does get elected (likely) and gets those tax changes implemented (unlikely), that document will be exhibit A in the inevitable lawsuit. Even if Mamdani's supporters claim that his inclusion of "whiter" was merely descriptive rather than determinative, a court could easily use it to say that this is a racially motivated tax burden, a violation of equal protection.

A truly stupid move. Mamdani has enormous talent, but he and his staff are sometimes such dummies.

[MichMan]

156. He also says he will arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in NYC

Arrest him for what? Does he believe that as mayor, he can just order a foreign leader to be arrested ?

[tulipsandroses]

138. I doubt it. I think the biggest issue here is people lack full context of the issue-

It's a long running issue, not something Mamdani just pulled out of his ass.

There is an actual lawsuit regarding these unfair practices.
New York Court of Appeals allows lawsuit alleging racial property tax disparities in New York City to go forwardThe New York Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a lawsuit from Tax Equity Now New York (TENNY), which alleges disparities in the New York City property tax system are disproportionately burdening low-income and majority-people-of-color neighborhoods, can go forward in the New York state courts.
https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/new-york-court-of-appeals-allows-lawsuit-alleging-racial-property-tax-disparities-in-new-york-city-to-go-forward/

Interestingly, The NY Post has picked up the narrative from Newsweek in order to demonize him, when last year they reported on the inequities.

New York City has been ordered to overhaul its tax system in a landmark ruling by the state’s highest court after black property owners claimed the process favors their counterparts in whiter affluent areas.

“After decades of avoiding responsibility to fix a universally acknowledged problem and a seven-year legal battle, city and state leaders will be required to create a property tax system that is equitable and just for millions of renters and homeowners in lower-income and minority communities,” said Martha Stark, policy director for Tax Equity Now New York, TENNY, the group that filed the lawsuit, in a statement after Tuesday’s ruling.

State high-court Judge Jenny Rivera wrote in her opinion, “TENNY’s allegation that the City’s tax system perpetuates segregation suffices.”

Ana Champeny, a top researcher at the Citizens Budget Commission, told The Post on Tuesday, “The court decision appears to suggest that the city has within its administrative power the ability to make changes that would reduce disparities in property taxes.”
A lower court had ruled that it was up to the state legislature to fix any issues.
https://nypost.com/2024/03/19/us-news/nyc-must-overhaul-property-tax-system-after-years-of-discriminatory-inequity-court/

If much needed changes happen, I doubt anyone bringing a lawsuit based on what he said would be successful. I doubt that would overcome all the years of reports, studies, and now lawsuits.

[ibegurpard]

137. Lots of "racism against white people" energy in this thread

Interesting and noted

[Samael13]

142. Is it that or people commenting on it being a dumb statement

Whiter neighborhoods wasnt necessary to add he could have left it at raising property taxes in higher income areas. Using the word whiter just opens criticism that isnt necessary against a candidate that already had alot against him.

[RandySF]

153. I see we're not going to have rational discussions about Mamdani.

Nice guy. Flawed candidate. Should win a close race. Going to have trouble holding Council seats in Brooklyn and the outer boroughs.

[TacosUberAlles]

164. I'd like to know why

so many seem to be repeating headlines from the NY Post of all places which cherry picks everything to cause outrage among the far right.

What's up with that?

[dsc]

167. Regardless of Newsweek's reputation for bias the words to appear on this website and they are idiotic

The policy is good but the framing is just plain dumb. It should also be noted that Staten Island also hurt by this.