Mamdani's tax database doxed wealthy New Yorkers

4 hours ago

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration introduced a property tax surcharge on second homes, targeting high-value properties with a searchable online database of affected owners.
The surcharge applies to single-, two-, and three-family homes valued over $5 million and condos/co-ops valued over $1 million, with rates ranging from 0.8% to 6.5% of market value.
Critics argue the database, while based on public records, is unusually packaged and singles out individuals for public scrutiny, potentially making them feel unsafe and unwelcome.
Mamdani previously named hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin as a tax target, and the tax may affect properties worth less than the average in some boroughs, contradicting claims it targets only the 'richest of the rich'.
Many affected owners may be wrongly identified due to outdated information, as admitted by city officials, leading to errors like an 81-year-old woman being taxed on her primary residence.
The implementation has drawn criticism from even some supporters, who compare it to a 'wanted poster' and note the dangerous precedent of class-based targeting in a city where a CEO was recently assassinated.
The tax is seen by detractors as fostering class resentment and punishing success, rather than addressing genuine tax needs.

The Dutch secret services are getting a new law that makes it easier to intercept and hack on a large scale, which they claim is essentially a privacy law.
The law allows all internet and telephone cables to be monitored and data stored for a year, with provisions for sharing with foreign entities.
In 2017, a previous version of the law led to societal uproar and a referendum against it, but it was revised and now passes with little opposition.

The author argues for a billionaire wealth tax of 5% annually on total wealth, not income, to raise $4.4 trillion over a decade for public services.
The tax aims to fund teacher salaries, affordable childcare, and healthcare, contrasting with Governor Newsom's income-based tax proposal that raises far less revenue.
Wealth flight fears are dismissed, citing California's strong venture capital investment and political support for the tax despite billionaire opposition.

Older generations criticize younger generations for not affording homes, attributing it to reckless spending on luxuries like avocado toast.
Historical home prices show a dramatic increase: from $12,000 (grandfather) to $150,000 (author) and now $970,000 minimum in the author's neighborhood.
Affording a million-dollar home requires a salary of $250,000-$360,000 annually, which is unrealistic for many.

Georgia Power is using eminent domain to seize hundreds of properties in Coweta and Fayette counties for a $16 billion grid expansion plan to meet surging electricity demand, largely driven by data centers.
At least 330 properties are affected, with 20-30 homes to be demolished and many landowners forced to accept permanent easements for high-voltage transmission lines close to their homes.
Affected residents, like Ansley Brown and Cynthia Van Epps, report lowball offers and coercive tactics, with some offers hundreds of thousands below property values and threats of condemnation.

London has seen a rapid adoption of automatic 'optional' service charges in pubs, bars, and cafes, a practice previously limited to sit-down restaurants and resisted as American-style tipping.
Three main factors drive this trend: increased employer taxes (like higher national insurance), a 2024 law ensuring tips go to staff with tax advantages, and new technology making tipping prompts feasible.
Service charges allow venues to pay staff more while reducing tax burdens (e.g., avoiding VAT and national insurance), keeping menu prices lower and addressing wage increases post-Brexit and minimum wage hikes.

The Dutch secret services are getting a new law that makes it easier to intercept and hack on a large scale, which they claim is essentially a privacy law.
The law allows all internet and telephone cables to be monitored and data stored for a year, with provisions for sharing with foreign entities.
In 2017, a previous version of the law led to societal uproar and a referendum against it, but it was revised and now passes with little opposition.

The author argues for a billionaire wealth tax of 5% annually on total wealth, not income, to raise $4.4 trillion over a decade for public services.
The tax aims to fund teacher salaries, affordable childcare, and healthcare, contrasting with Governor Newsom's income-based tax proposal that raises far less revenue.
Wealth flight fears are dismissed, citing California's strong venture capital investment and political support for the tax despite billionaire opposition.

Older generations criticize younger generations for not affording homes, attributing it to reckless spending on luxuries like avocado toast.
Historical home prices show a dramatic increase: from $12,000 (grandfather) to $150,000 (author) and now $970,000 minimum in the author's neighborhood.
Affording a million-dollar home requires a salary of $250,000-$360,000 annually, which is unrealistic for many.

Georgia Power is using eminent domain to seize hundreds of properties in Coweta and Fayette counties for a $16 billion grid expansion plan to meet surging electricity demand, largely driven by data centers.
At least 330 properties are affected, with 20-30 homes to be demolished and many landowners forced to accept permanent easements for high-voltage transmission lines close to their homes.
Affected residents, like Ansley Brown and Cynthia Van Epps, report lowball offers and coercive tactics, with some offers hundreds of thousands below property values and threats of condemnation.

London has seen a rapid adoption of automatic 'optional' service charges in pubs, bars, and cafes, a practice previously limited to sit-down restaurants and resisted as American-style tipping.
Three main factors drive this trend: increased employer taxes (like higher national insurance), a 2024 law ensuring tips go to staff with tax advantages, and new technology making tipping prompts feasible.
Service charges allow venues to pay staff more while reducing tax burdens (e.g., avoiding VAT and national insurance), keeping menu prices lower and addressing wage increases post-Brexit and minimum wage hikes.

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