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Many affected owners may be wrongly identified due to outdated information, as admitted by city officials, leading to errors like an 81-year-old woman being taxed on her primary residence.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.

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.

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.

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.

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