Current Events > Zohran Mamdani Proposes Taxing 'Whiter Neighborhoods' in NYC

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

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. Mamdani's official campaign website features a policy memo under the title "Supporting homeowners and ending deed theft." The document says that if elected his administration will "Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods." It adds: "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." The document asserts that currently New York City taxes "family homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods like Jamaica, Brownsville, and Tremont more than it does in wealthier neighborhoods of the city."

People will focused on "whiter" when the important word is "richer."

Good. Tax the rich.

Why is the left so unbelievably awful at messaging. It's so incredibly consistent.

creativerealms posted...

People will focused on "whiter" when the important word is "richer."

Good. Tax the rich.

Sure, but any competent politician should be able to not do such unforced errors.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/6a37a2e0.jpg

K181 posted...

Sure, but any competent politician should be able to not do such unforced errors.

Agreed. He needs to choose his words better.

KajeI posted...

Why is the left so unbelievably awful at messaging. It's so incredibly consistent.

This.

"Richer". All you had to say was "richer". There is zero reason to bring race into this at all.

Such an unforced error. Absolutely they should fix the property tax system. Don't explicitly mention the race though.

BlueTigerLion posted...

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." The document asserts that currently New York City taxes "family homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods like Jamaica, Brownsville, and Tremont more than it does in wealthier neighborhoods of the city."

this is not how to build class solidarity

KajeI posted...

Why is the left so unbelievably awful at messaging. It's so incredibly consistent.

Yeah that was stupid AF to say

Yeah, I agree that he should tax the richer neighborhoods more but it was kind of a mistake to say "whiter." Because people are gonna latch on to that part of the message instead of the more important part.

His opponents say way worse (mostly Islamophobic) stuff, but yeah definitely a poor choice of words there.

It's a race neutral "tax the wealthy" thing, and they're shocked it's hitting wealthy white neighborhoods more?

He should have just said wealth neighborhoods and not brought race into it.

Cool

Based

Dumb move. Should've kept it about wealth only.

Bad messaging. Richer neighborhoods implies whiter neighborhoods but the fact they are richer is the reason they should be taxed more so that's all that should have been said.

Ugh, what a dumbass. This could have him lose in the end.

He's right but unless you keep race out of it idiots will focus on that.

He said the right thing. I'm certainly not going to wring my hands about it.

UnholyMudcrab posted...

He said the right thing. I'm certainly not going to wring my hands about it.

He's not wrong. But it won't help accusations thrown at him.

Unless he's really pushing for a lot of non-white voters, which I don't know what percentage of the city's population that is.

Democrats say rich white people might be taxed a bit higher. republicans say non-white people are akin to an infestation or plague.

This will unironically be the end of his run

McmadnessV3 posted...

He's not wrong. But it won't help accusations thrown at him.

Unless he's really pushing for a lot of non-white voters, which I don't know what percentage of the city's population that is.

Even non-white voters don't want him to single out a race. It's a dumbass thing to say.

The policy is fine. The way he said it stupid. It's about income, so don't mention race.

Him saying it like this is like if a Republican said we're gonna increase policing in high crime and (insert race)'er neighborhoods. Or if he made this same statement, but instead of "whiter" he said "more Jewish". If you'd be pissed about either of those, understand why some whites are gonna be pissed about this and hold it against Mamdani.

PballDepot posted...

His opponents say way worse (mostly Islamophobic) stuff, but yeah definitely a poor choice of words there.

I know right lmao

SaikyoStyle posted...

Democrats say rich white people might be taxed a bit higher. republicans say non-white people are akin to an infestation or plague.

Post a picture of the statue of liberty in a niqab and conflate the guy to 9/11 and no one bats an eye

Rightly suggest correcting undertaxation of wealthy white people and everyone loses their mind

Like the best part is it's not even that they will get a higher tax bill out of some unfair policy. It's just correcting a systemic inequality:

The property tax system is unbalanced because assessment levels are artificially capped, so homeowners in expensive neighborhoods pay less than their fair share.

theAteam posted...

Post a picture of the statue of liberty in a niqab and conflate the guy to 9/11 and no one bats an eye

Rightly suggest correcting undertaxation of wealthy white people and everyone loses their mind

That's the USA, so yeah. Somebody like Mamdani shouldn't have to be so careful about his framing when he's correct but in the USA? He absolutely does have to because of the racist reality of the country.

Fox is literally going to get months of coverage and radicalization from this line

He is absolutely correct

I also half-feel this triples the chance someone tries to assassinate him

Stupid move

Mmmmm me thinks that was a poor choice of words.

Lol no way he said this. While he isn't wrong this is a complete death knell in american politics rn

Look, hes not wrong about what he said. However, he is a young Muslim politician who holds socialist beliefs in 2025 America. Without saying a single word hes already fighting an uphill battle.

This is an incredibly unforced error that will do absolutely nothing to help him, while giving the right and moderate left who are scared of actual left wing policy ammo to use against him forever.

It's been on his website for months, to give you an idea of how much it's hurt him so far.

Could this be blocked with a lawsuit because it sounds discriminatory by mentioning race?

Antifar posted...

It's been on his website for months, to give you an idea of how much it's hurt him so far.

Unfortunately most voters arent visiting politicians websites. Its in the media sphere now, and will absolutely be used against him by his opponents

He couldve left the word white out of it and theres 0 controversy

Antifar posted...

It's been on his website for months, to give you an idea of how much it's hurt him so far.

Which no one was going to look at, but now it's a headline.

I guarantee this will get 1000x the airtime of the open Islamophobia being leveled at this guy.

Im just wondering how he even allowed himself to say this at such a crucial time. Its suuuuuuuch a layup for his opponents It almost feels like it should ave been unthinkable for him to say this.

The right is obviously gonna use this. See? See? All dems are racists against white people!
Fuckin sucks.
Yeah, for every inch of ground gained, we cant afford to lose an inch due to poor phrasing.

creativerealms posted...

People will focused on "whiter" when the important word is "richer."

Good. Tax the rich.

Then he should have only said richer. Saying whiter is racist and is what will get the focus. He's shooting himself in the foot and giving ammo to the establishment to move against him. That was an incredibly idiotic thing to say. He has a point, but messaging like this only hurts him.

Toonstrack posted...

Mmmmm me thinks that was a poor choice of words.

He meant exactly what he said. Rather than saying something politically neutral like simply raising the cap of assessed property values while keeping collected revenue the same to allow for a more progressive property tax, he instead said the silent part out loud.

If you don't live in the one of the richest neighborhoods in NYC, stop caring about how he phrased it. The richest neighborhoods are probably majority white, but don't worry Indian tech CEO living in billionaires row, we're gonna try to get you, too.

I don't care

argonautweakend posted...

If you don't live in the one of the richest neighborhoods in NYC, stop caring about how he phrased it. The richest neighborhoods are probably majority white, but don't worry Indian tech CEO living in billionaires row, we're gonna try to get you, too.

Preaching to the choir. That won't make a difference to most people.

argonautweakend posted...

If you don't live in the one of the richest neighborhoods in NYC, stop caring about how he phrased it. The richest neighborhoods are probably majority white, but don't worry Indian tech CEO living in billionaires row, we're gonna try to get you, too.

Nobody here is complaining about what he said on moral grounds, he's absolutely right.

The point we're all making is this was a completely unnecessary gaffe that is only going to hurt him more than it helps.