New York Post readers have voiced strong opposition to Mayor Mamdani's proposed pied-à-terre tax, with several letters to the editor criticizing the policy and its potential consequences.
Critics argue that the tax, which requires city residents to prove their primary residence, could disproportionately affect wealthy individuals and lead to a loss of revenue that would ultimately harm the city's poor by cutting services. Some readers suggested that the mayor's policies are "punish[ing] the poor" and could drive the wealthy out of the city.
One letter raised concerns that many individuals subject to the pied-à-terre tax occupy rent-regulated apartments at below-market rates. The writer suggested that buildings containing these apartments would be more valuable and generate higher taxes if the units were not regulated, implying that political use of rent regulation by politicians like the mayor contributes to the need for such taxes.
Beyond the tax itself, some readers leveled more serious accusations against Mayor Mamdani. One letter described the mayor as a "terrorist" and a "terrorist sympathizer" for allegedly "doxxing" residents by releasing a list of those potentially subject to the tax, thereby putting them in danger. This same letter called on Governor Hochul to remove Mamdani from office.
Another correspondent criticized the mayor for "blowing off concerns" related to "doxxing residents," "antisemitic violence," "taxpayer-funded supermarkets that will put countless markets out of business," and his and his wife's perceived "warmth for terrorist cheerleaders."
One reader sarcastically suggested that unhappy New Yorkers facing the new tax should "put on a mask, block traffic and set a few police cars on fire!" mimicking tactics used by the left.
Readers also connected the mayor's policies to broader issues of safety and governance in the city. The death of a 12-year-old boy, Jacob Freytes, who was killed by a stray bullet outside a Bronx bodega, was mentioned in relation to the city's safety concerns. Some letters blamed New Yorkers themselves for electing officials like Mamdani, urging voters to participate and elect candidates who support the police and school choice to improve the city's future.
One writer stated that those targeted by Mamdani's tax had two choices: remain under "radical socialist authoritarian rule" or leave the city.