New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration has released a list of hundreds of thousands of property owners, which critics are calling an "enemies of the people" list. The publication is associated with a new non-resident "pied-à-terre" tax.
The city's Department of Finance released the list of property owners who may be subject to the new tax. However, critics argue that publicizing this list serves no constructive purpose, as the department is already mailing notices to these owners to clarify their tax status. The publication is seen by some as an attempt to intimidate owners.
Further complicating the matter, the Department of Finance website acknowledges that the list "is not limited to, those properties that may be subject to the surcharge," suggesting that a significant portion of the published names are not relevant to the new tax. Additionally, many individuals on the list are primary residents of their homes, which could include apartments valued at over $1 million in the current market, even modest one-bedroom units.
The list has also drawn criticism for its apparent lack of human review. Examples cited include foreign diplomatic buildings, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran's brownstone, which are tax-exempt, appearing on the list alongside private residences.
Critics attribute the publication to a political ideology focused on identifying and targeting "class enemies." This approach, as described by national Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer, aims to "win by making conditions so intolerable to the ruling class that they would rather give in to our demands than live with the disturbance we cause." The intention, according to this viewpoint, is to instill fear in property owners.