Jazz at The Brooklyn Firefly – January 25th
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January 22, 2019Why Does Mayor de Blasio Get a Property Tax Discount?
We got out tax assessment today. In 2015, I wrote to Mayor de Blasio to discuss the discrepancy between our property tax and his.
First I got a form letter from his staffer.
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Then I got this after I asked for an explanation. There’s more info about this here.
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Then I spoke to the staffer on the phone, who promised me that Mayor de Blasio was committed to fixing the broken tax system.
I made this back in 2015:
It’s 2019 and my new tax is now over $9000. Bill de Blasio’s property tax is just over $4000. Mayor de Blasio actually owns two homes in Park Slope and the both together cost less in property tax than one regular-sized Bay Ridge home.
You would think that we were living in a “McMansion” with property taxes that high, but we have a regular house. Mayor de Blasio said: “Wealth is in the wrong hands.” (See here) Yes, it is – his!
Other politicians are not REALLY interested in fixing the broken tax system. Councilman Brannan has been in office for a year and I don’t think he can do anything because of City Council Speaker, Corey Johnson. Eight months ago, a new property tax commission was formed by Corey Johnson and Mayor de Blasio but they still have no answers. Who has a job for eight months with no solutions to a problem? For awhile, Johnson had them holding hearings to hear people’s concerns. Why can’t Corey Johnson look at the data and have the people working in the finance department rework the numbers according to market value? Brannan wrote an article in October about his support for the advisory committee (see here), but at some point someone needs to realize that isn’t working.
Why isn’t anyone doing anything? Because it doesn’t affect most of the elected representatives. They figure residents aren’t looking closely and they can keep putting it off as other pols before them have. (I wrote to past Speaker Melissa Mark-Vivierto and she pushed my letter off on Vinnie Gentile’s office).
Please don’t say, “If Nicole Malliotakis was mayor, this won’t happen.” Assemblywoman Malliotakis did not submit a property tax bill as she promised she would while she was campaigning – see here.
Cuomo wants to give a 2% property tax cap for the state of NY…..except for NYC. If any state senators from NYC vote for that, we will know they are in Cuomo’s pocket and not fighting for residents in NYC.
What about Senator Gounardes? I was going to wait awhile before I asked him. But two Fridays ago, he started to ask for problems in the district. He’s on social media while I’m at work and his day is over by the tine I get home and I had time to tweet (see here), so he didn’t respond to me because I was too late. The following Friday he did the same thing and took questions again from people who are available during the early hours of the day (when most people are working). Strangely, he received over 100 responses, but no one tweeted about property taxes.
It’s insane that there are politicians in office in NYC for years who are okay with a two-tiered tax system. Bill de Blasio his wife, Chirlane McCray and their Park Slope neighbors have been receiving a tax break for years. Mayor de Blasio is unwilling to fix the broken tax system because he benefits from it.
Please don’t tell me deBlasio wants to run for President. I’m so tired of politicians who think laws/taxes/whatever are for everyone else, but them.
Overtaxed in Bay Ridge
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January 22, 2019When is the 18th Avenue Feast This Year? 2019 – Brooklyn
“When is the 18th Avenue Feast?” is a question I am always asked.
This year the Feast of St. Rosalie or the Italian feast is being held from Thursday, August 22nd to Sunday, September 1st from 68th Street to 75th Street. During the week, it opens at 6:00 pm and closes at 11:00 pm. On the weekend, it opens at 2:00 pm.
See larger here
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January 22, 2019Paint Rocks in Bay Ridge – January 28th
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January 22, 2019Where is Nicole Malliotakis’ Property Tax Bill?
Before the last election, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis promised a three part bill (Parts A, B and C) for homeowners against property taxes. The Assembly has been in session for a few weeks now, so Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis should have submitted the bill by now. When I searched for her bills here – I found she hasn’t submitted ANY bills for the 2019-2020 session. See here
The search on the NY Assembly site works just fine – the only assembly members without bills are new freshman assembly members OR ones that have been sleeping like Peter Abbate and and Bill Colton AND MALLIOTAKIS.
Journalist, Paula Katinas wrote about the non-existent Malliotakis tax bill to urge readers to vote for her. Katinas often writes in favorable tone towards Malliotakis and prints press releases from the politician……even if Malliotakis hasn’t done anything to deserve an article. (See here and here)
Although Staten Island newspapers printed a press release about the tax bill, a new bill for property tax was not submitted (See here). This is what Malliotakis’ tax bill was supposed to include:
Last February, Malliotakis did speak to Mayor de Blasio about property taxes (see here), but she failed to write a tax bill to help owners. She also failed to write a tax bill to help small businesses in Bay Ridge. (See here) Why is Malliotakis playing politics with Governor Cuomo when she could write a bill and pass a law to help property owners in her district? Nicole Malliotakis knows silly petitions don’t work with Cuomo – she tried that (with Golden) on the Verrazano Bridge toll and it didn’t work!
All Assemblywoman Malliotakis seems to be doing in the new year is fear mongering over MS-13 in Long Island (not Staten Island), trolling Eric Ulrich because he didn’t support her run for mayor or taking credit for the lockbox legislation, even though she didn’t co-sponsor the bill. Malliotakis should be taking on the drug problem in Staten Island, but she is too busy playing politics.
Malliotakis won’t take questions about the bill now either. See here
Now there is talk about her running for another office. (See here) Why does she keep running for positions, when she isn’t interested in changing the law to help people?
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January 22, 2019Redeemer St. John Nursery School Open House 1/26
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January 21, 2019Strong Winds Take Out a Truck and Traffic Lights
Councilman Brannan shared this picture of the overturned truck on the upper level of the Verrazzano:
A lot of traffic issues in Bay Ridge tonight caused by the high winds. Some reports showed wind gusts in NYC at 30-40 mph. The upper level of the Verrazzano Bridge was closed due to the turned tractor trailer..
There are also many traffic lights out on 3rd and 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge tonight due to the high winds and cold weather.
If your light is out or flipped around, call 311 to report it – don’t wait because they have been called to the area and can fix the problems near you if they are reported.
I don’t remember traffic lights failing due to the cold….maybe it’s the LED lights or the wiring is different for these LED lights?
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January 21, 2019Hom Helps Families Affected by the Shutdown
The government shutdown is affecting Bay Ridge Families.
Bay Ridge Cares gave a shout out to Sal Forte and Damien of Hom Restaurant in Bay Ridge:
It’s nice to see businesses helping out. Hom serves a great brunch!
If any other merchants want to join the effort to help families, contact: [email protected]
Furloughed Federal Employees in Bay Ridge – see here
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January 21, 2019Money to Burn in Bay Ridge….
Kadia Goba of Bklyner reported about Senator Golden’s defeat party at his family’s business – see here.
What’s strange is there was video of this party and there weren’t that many people there.
Kadia also reported about Marty’s Christmas Party. By December, everyone knew he lost the election and he still spent over 15K, like he was having a wedding.
Who spends that much on a party for a few hours? There are homeless people on the street and politicians think it is okay to have a $15,000 party.
I’m not shocked by either amount. Money is like water for some politicians.
Thank goodness the neighborhood voted him out. I share this information here so we don’t forget.
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January 21, 2019OLG’s Winter Carnival 1/26
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January 21, 2019Tennis Lessons in Bay Ridge
More on Steve Carberry ~ Brooklyn Tennis Academy
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January 21, 2019Bay Ridge Marched Against Hate Today
On this very windy and bitterly cold Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Bay Ridge residents marched against hate. This event was organized by the group, Bay Ridge for Social Justice with the support of many other groups (see here). Crowds lined up outside of the Arab American Association on 5th Avenue between Ovington and 72nd Street.
Although it was a smaller crowd this year due to the bitter cold weather, many still walked because it was important. They walked through the streets and avenues and ended at Union Church on 80th Street around 12:45 pm. At Union Church they had snacks and heard speeches.
RadioFree Bay Ridge shared pics of the march here and a video of the speeches here, here and here
More pics here and here
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