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Approximately 6,000 condominium units have been built in Long Island City and neighboring Astoria during the last 5 years, under tax abatement programs that translate as no real estate taxes on the units until 2040. In the tight and hot NYC real estate market, these units were rushed into construction and sale prior to the termination dates for taking advantage of these tax abatement programs. Both neighborhoods are only 1 or 2 subway stops from Manhattan, often offering quicker access to Manhattan stations than between Manhattan stations from one part of Manhattan Island to another.
More than 5,500 of these units have been sold to millennials who label themselves as progressives, evading the real estate taxes the balance of city real estate owning residents suffer. But they want to tax the rich. Many of these 5,500 or so progressive millennial new homeowners are professionals earning more than $200k annually, and also beneficiaries of large trust funds or inheritances.
These new homeowners are the beneficiaries of gentrification, not minority racial politics of tax abatement programs that essentially effected mostly white neighborhoods. Long Island City and Astoria residential populations outside of City projects, have been predominantly of Italian, Greek, Irish and German heritages, inclusive of recent lawful immigrants during the past 50 years.
During the recent special election for the Queens District Attorney, basically an issue of which of 7 Democrat candidates would win, with no Republican support for a Republican candidate in a predominantly Democrat county, Tiffany Cabán, the NYT Times endorsed candidate, a young progressive with no trial or administration experience, the NYT claimed the primary was a test for the influence of AOC as she touted Tiffany Cabán, along with an endorsement from Liz Warren. Tiffany Cabán's platform was based on the elimination of bail requirements for the "poor" criminals, refusal to prosecute hookers and pimps, along with other "low level" crimes, particularly drug use. Her main opponent, Melinda Katz, a second generation party stalwart, currently Borough President, with more than 40 years of public service in elected offices, another attorney with no trial experience, initially and narrowly lost the primary, but reversed with an upset after the count of paper ballots, winning by 20 votes. Almost the entirety of Tiffany Cabán's vote came from the new condominium residents of Long Island City and Astoria. Melinda Katz's support came from the rest of the county, particularly the minority inhabited southern tier of Queens, where Tiffany Cabán received seven votes.
The primary is still in action. This week there is to be a vote recount, warranted by the slim margin for the winner, and the reexamination of about 3,200 rejected votes, mostly based on registrations from non citizens, convicted felons denied voting rights by court orders and ghost registrations including those of dead voters, the latter attributed to a Cabán campaign official now facing election fraud charges levied by the NYS Board of Elections.
Each of the 5 other candidates have ceded the primary or withdrawn. It should be noted, the entire Asian community in Queens, the third largest in the country, voted in a block for Katz, opposed to Tiffany Cabán's position on prostitution, an issue which plagues their community. Despite Katz's position as Borough President, most had no idea who she is. Katz is a supporter of the death penalty, obviously, Cabán is not. No other Queens politician has opposed the death penalty. That a possible District Attorney would refuse to enact the will of the people and the laws that protect the constituency is mind boggling.
More than 5,500 of these units have been sold to millennials who label themselves as progressives, evading the real estate taxes the balance of city real estate owning residents suffer. But they want to tax the rich. Many of these 5,500 or so progressive millennial new homeowners are professionals earning more than $200k annually, and also beneficiaries of large trust funds or inheritances.
These new homeowners are the beneficiaries of gentrification, not minority racial politics of tax abatement programs that essentially effected mostly white neighborhoods. Long Island City and Astoria residential populations outside of City projects, have been predominantly of Italian, Greek, Irish and German heritages, inclusive of recent lawful immigrants during the past 50 years.
During the recent special election for the Queens District Attorney, basically an issue of which of 7 Democrat candidates would win, with no Republican support for a Republican candidate in a predominantly Democrat county, Tiffany Cabán, the NYT Times endorsed candidate, a young progressive with no trial or administration experience, the NYT claimed the primary was a test for the influence of AOC as she touted Tiffany Cabán, along with an endorsement from Liz Warren. Tiffany Cabán's platform was based on the elimination of bail requirements for the "poor" criminals, refusal to prosecute hookers and pimps, along with other "low level" crimes, particularly drug use. Her main opponent, Melinda Katz, a second generation party stalwart, currently Borough President, with more than 40 years of public service in elected offices, another attorney with no trial experience, initially and narrowly lost the primary, but reversed with an upset after the count of paper ballots, winning by 20 votes. Almost the entirety of Tiffany Cabán's vote came from the new condominium residents of Long Island City and Astoria. Melinda Katz's support came from the rest of the county, particularly the minority inhabited southern tier of Queens, where Tiffany Cabán received seven votes.
The primary is still in action. This week there is to be a vote recount, warranted by the slim margin for the winner, and the reexamination of about 3,200 rejected votes, mostly based on registrations from non citizens, convicted felons denied voting rights by court orders and ghost registrations including those of dead voters, the latter attributed to a Cabán campaign official now facing election fraud charges levied by the NYS Board of Elections.
Each of the 5 other candidates have ceded the primary or withdrawn. It should be noted, the entire Asian community in Queens, the third largest in the country, voted in a block for Katz, opposed to Tiffany Cabán's position on prostitution, an issue which plagues their community. Despite Katz's position as Borough President, most had no idea who she is. Katz is a supporter of the death penalty, obviously, Cabán is not. No other Queens politician has opposed the death penalty. That a possible District Attorney would refuse to enact the will of the people and the laws that protect the constituency is mind boggling.
