Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Council says, "Not so fast, Mayor Mike!"

Mayor Bloomberg's plan to end his $400 propety tax rebate hit a major roadblock on Monday, as City Council members said they're prepared to fight the mayor to keep the rebate alive.

The clash came at the first of ten budget hearings being held this month to deal with the city's financial crisis.

"Taking it away is the very antithesis of an economic stimulus package," Councilman Lewis Fidler said of the property tax rebate, which Bloomberg introduced in 2004. "It's an extraordinarily bad idea and I think we here in the council believe you don't have the legal authority to do it without coming here for our approval, and I doubt you would get it."

To underscore the point, Finance Chairman David Weprin produced an document from the city's budget office that states that rescinding the $400 property tax rebate requires legislative approval.

Bloomberg, who was in Washington on Monday, said the city's dark financial outlook doesn't change either way.

"If we don't do that, we are going to have to cut another quarter of a billion dollars out of our expenses," the mayor said.


Spurning Mayor, Council Vows To Keep Property Tax Rebate

Add one more to the list: Eliminate the Community Affairs Unit.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

"If we don't do that, we are going to have to cut another quarter of a billion dollars out of our expenses," the mayor said."

Easy solution: Scrap Willets Point.

Anonymous said...

Or dont build two new stadiums.Too late.

Anonymous said...

Whos "our" expenses mister full of himself.The country is broke and the wealthy like you bloomberg dont relate to that so please go on vacation and quit with your double speak.No one needs your advice.Reminds me of the recent hearings with Hedge fund managers facing congress:In recent years, being a hedge fund manager has been just about the most lucrative career in the world. The mavens of a secretive, high-stakes industry, they commanded from their investors fees and commissions that sent their incomes soaring into the hundreds of millions, even billions.
Hedge fund managers typically pay a tax rate on that income well below what most Americans pay, because the tax code treats a manager's commissions and a worker's salary differently. In the past, managers have waged successful multi-million-dollar lobbying efforts to fend off congressional efforts to increase their income tax burden.

Anonymous said...

It easy for a Billionaire to scrap a rebate. Rebate my *ss - this is my money, take less up front - forget about refunding later because this is what happens to it - it vanishes!

Anonymous said...

what about cutting back on those borough president figureheads?

Anonymous said...

thank the lord for councilman page for watching out for the voting public u have to be kidding me if u beleive that the bloomberg admin did not know about that he was just thinking that he is king and we are all just a city full of idiots and tking our money he knew about that he could not just take back the rebate he justthought we would never find the law thanks again to our here councilman page

Anonymous said...

Hotel tax increase? That's good news for all the illegal hotels in Astoria.

Anonymous said...

When the city is in dire straights, did you know that Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz is building an $64 million dollar Amphitheater at Assery Levy Park. This is just what Brooklyn & the City needs. Another venue for Concerts. We already have Keyspan Park to have concerts & Asser Levy Park is used for Marty's Summer Concerts. This project is just to fill Marty's Ego & build a MONUMENT in his honor. This $64 million dollars can be spent in a much more responsible manner. Call & email Marty Markowitz & tell what you think of this poorly proposed project.

Anonymous said...

How about a website where New Yorkers post THEIR ideas about how to cut the fat in city government? I bet the politicians could learn something about average New Yorkers who live paycheck to paycheck and have to stretch their budgets. I think the Queens Crapper is the voice of the people and I think local politicians secretly log in to see what's going on. Make a separate post on CUTTING THE FAT, just for one month and let's see how creative the taxpayers can be.

Anonymous said...

the rebate was never theres to keep they take the 400 from the homeowner put it in the city coffers make intrest on our money then give it back to us like a present. its like getting mugged then the mugger returns the items they stole from u only difference is that he mayor mugs us with a smile and no mask

Anonymous said...

How about a website where New Yorkers post THEIR ideas about how to cut the fat in city government
-----------------------------------

Actually the voters of Council District 30 did just that on election day. Those wise people trimmed the fat by about two hundred pounds. Good job folks.

Anonymous said...

Get rid of Willets Point , it's an eyesore.

Anonymous said...

It's also a money maker for the City in tough fiscal times.

Anonymous said...

You can take back your $400 rebate and stick it up your ass Mike!

It doesn't mean that much to me.

What's a token amount like that going to buy these days anyway
after you jack up my real estate taxes (afterwards)?

So without it I'll just go broke a few months earlier living in "Shitty City".

I'm already headed South...
you scum-bun... with the newly found purchasing power I'll have in North Carolina thanks to a new job!

Now you can go back to sucking the cocks or the NYC council members
you're trying to cozy up with!

(Or is that Ms. Parvisi of the CAU's job)?

Anonymous said...

Maybe all those illegal aliens in "Sanctuary City" can lessen the burden by paying their taxes !

Oh...they're leaving NYC too because the construction industry is facing its own troubles with building slow downs!

Ahem....
but isn't Bloomberg pushing to amend the city charter so as to eliminate borough presidents and community boards from the ULURP
process in order to "streamline" approvals for new development in order to provide construction jobs?

H-m-m-m-m !!!
Stay tuned for "hizzoner's" latest "whammy" next time you're bent over and not watching out for yourselves!

Anonymous said...

Dump developers' tax incentives!

Us taxpayers are subsidizing their building projects.

So where's our share of their profits...AND YOURS? !!!

Anonymous said...

First Giuliani instituted the self certification process and now Bloomberg wants to streamline ULURP
by eliminating the oversight of CBs and boro prezs!

It sure sounds like us citizens are
becoming the serfs of some bastard billionaires...ain't it?

Perhaps the NYC real estate industry should issue its own currency redeemable at their company store!

Anonymous said...

They'll never scrap Willets Point.

It provides the mother's milk that the political clubhouses live off of...KICKBACK MONEY !

We'd better all learn to bow and gracefully chant,
"Hail King Michael the 1st",
or it's off with our heads (via more punishment taxes).

We've just gotten the Bloomberg brush again!