400-1108.jpg Though 76 percent of you said you thought it was okay for Mayor Mike to nix the $400 property tax rebate in light of the current financial situation, you homeowners might be getting a check after all. The NY Times reported that Mayor Bloomberg does not actually have the power to cancel the rebate. “Any elimination of the popular rebates requires City Council approval, the budget director, Mark Page, acknowledged. And council members, who have been flooded with calls from angry residents looking for their checks, declared the mayor’s idea to cut them ‘dead on arrival.'” Turns out the Mayor can’t impose that six-cent “fee” on plastic bags, either; he’d hoped by calling it that instead of a tax he could bypass the Council once again, but no go. We’ve heard from readers that many would be willing to forgo the check and abide the plastic bag fee in these trying financial times, but already Councilmember Vincent Gentile has filed a lawsuit lawsuit “to compel the Department of Finance to make good on the City’s promise of $400 rebate checks to homeowners.”
Your $400 Check Might Be in the Mail Soon [NY Times]


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  1. rob…i’m a homeowner and have been one since 1985 when I was 30. I’m not trashy; well, at least not always. And I’m not ghetto; but i guess I live in a ghetto. Oh well. But at least I have never pissed in an elevator. I got the $400 when I lived in Manhattan but I didn’t get it last year in Brooklyn. maybe it was because I just bought the place last year. if it comes this year I’ll be sure to go out and spend it on some wild trashy night in some sort of ghetto; hence boosting the economy because of the multiplier effect.

  2. I agree with DIBS. While I could certainly use the money right now, this would have been a simple and easy way to start closing a deficit that is much, much larger than $256 million. Also, the longer you wait to take deficit cutting measures, the steeper those measures have to be.

    Rob,

    Part of your premise is off. I do not believe the tax code rewards marriage. There used to be a lot of debate over the so-called “marriage tax” in the federal income tax code (I can’t remember if that was resolved). As for homeowner tax breaks, I think that is the result of policy decisions to encourage people to own and invest in homes. It is debatable whther that is the soundest social policy, but I think that is the reason. However, every time I have to shell out for the plumber, electrician, roofer, etc., those breaks help me do it. For renters, the problem is different. Renters don’t have to lay out the cash — the landlords do. Renters have the aggravation of trying to get recalciatrant LLs to spend money when it is needed top fix things, but they are not typically paying out of pocket to maintain and fix things themselves.

  3. to think that the budget will get balanced by bailouts, higher taxes, and withholding incentives is shortsighted. either way, there’s no panacea now. america stopped producing goods for a long time. that this global economy tanked was a disaster waiting to happen since the 80s reaganomics. surprise, surprise.

  4. homeowners are NOT more responsible citizens that is BULLSHI+. in so many parts of the country renting is NOT an option and people just but, but they are just as trashy, and just as ghetto, and just as irresonsible. in certain pockets of the country YEAH homeowners might SEEM more responsible because they have more money (sort of) but it doesnt make them more responsible. my grandparents (who raised me btw) were renters for life. they really were never able to buy anyway for various reasons.. but they never disrespected their property and always did repairs and home improvements, etc. don’t look down on someone who is renting. people who rent because of various economic factors do not always equal trash that pisses in elevators paying 2 dollars in rent a month. grrrrr!

    -rob

  5. pitbull – tax code ridiculousness…flat tax would solve it all but would be too many wealthy people on the unemployment lines. that being said, homeowners are more responsible citizens than non-homeowners simply because of their investment in the community. co-op v rental building – where would you rather live?

  6. on the bag issue. 6 cents a bag? um no. one year paper bags are bad the next plastic bags are bad. sorry but i REFUSE to be one of those people who have to carry around a femmey clothe tote bag (and im gay btw!) but i can’t stand those ugly tote bags. no thanks. hopefully some evil person will invent something even worse for the environment to replace bags. ooooh how about totes on wheels that emit poisonous gaseous particles into the air? grrrr. angry this morning for many reasons.

    -rob

  7. Diego, Are you going to put your rebate toward mass transit, police, fire and sanitaion dept. What’s the $400 worth to you if these services are cut. Your real estate is going way down in value if we return to the “70s.

  8. serious (dumb im SURE) question. why do homeowners get so many tax breaks to begin with? i know they pay property taxes, but other people pay huge taxes too. and dont get me started about tax breaks for married people. so basically if you are married and own a home you get every single kind of tax break, and rebates apparently. totally unfair.

    -rob

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