CM Paladino criticizes administration absence and calls tax 'eminent domain'
Council Member Vickie Paladino calls the administration's absence a 'disgrace' and characterizes the tax as a form of eminent domain designed to force property foreclosures. She urges the list be taken down immediately and criticizes the burden of proof being on citizens.
Councilmember Paul Adino on Zoom.
Good afternoon, everybody, and thank you very much for the opportunity.
And to the two chairs, thank you for hosting this very, very important and troubling hearing to echo what has been said again and again by my colleagues Carr and Morano.
It's an absolute disgrace that the administration is not here to address these people, let alone us.
This is extremely, extremely troubling.
This list is indeed a targeted list.
Let's cut to the chase here.
When you tax people to the point of, let's say, that's one woman who spoke about a family that bought their house in 1970,
was not aware, of course, that there was going, and they bought a second home in Florida or wherever, that they're going to be facing something like $40,000 or more in back taxes or the new tax that's being implemented.
This tax is being implemented for one reason.
It's being implemented because we've watched this administration go after private ownership.
We've watched this happen continuously.
It's been on his agenda since he ran for office.
So our mayor and the people who surround our mayor and the state government.
This is eminent domain, folks, because if you cannot pay your property taxes, what happens after that?
They come in and they swoop up.
This is one of the ways in which they can foreclose on a property, be it a co-op and condo or be a private home ownership.
This has been the ultimate goal of this administration from the beginning.
And the fact that they are not here, to Frank's point, leaning on their legal...
Troubles that they're having or what's happening in court.
That is not reason to be here.
They are not there because they do not want to answer questions.
This is considered a foregone conclusion.
And this is a shame that these nice people, regular New Yorkers, came out.
To talk to what they hope and get answers to what they hope would be the confusion.
And there are 900,000 people.
How is this possible?
There's so many question marks to this.
This is a targeted list.
And to everybody on that panel, you made a perfect...
Perfect statement, each and every one of you.
But I want the people of the city of New York who can hear us today, and this will be recorded, I highly advise you to watch very carefully because the burden of proof is being left to the individual citizen.
Once again, it's being left to the individual citizen.
They will have to bear the burden of proof.
This is totally unfair and coward and absolute cowardness of this administration.
Because they watch everything that goes on.
And yes, I'm being very critical of Zoran Mondani and his entire housing czar and their whole committee that they set up.
This is all part of a plan.
This is ultimate eminent domain.
Who is going to be able to pay $40,000, $80,000 in back taxes and then pay lawyers to go up against the finance department and drag their cases into court?
And to the other gentleman's point with real estate, take that list down immediately.
Immediately take that list down.
This is so unfair and cowardness, cowardness on our mayor.
Thank you very much for giving me the time.
Thank you very much.