I was encouraged to see the five borough Republican Party leaders, expressing their solidarity during last week’s powwow with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as they rebuffed this attempt to woo them into giving him the Republican line.
I applaud their bravery, particularly Queens Chairman Phil Ragusa, for having seized this opportunity to take Bloomberg to task on his decisions that have put the city on the course toward financial oblivion.
Since Bloomberg took office, his fiscal ingenuity has produced public deficits due to catering to the education lobby and offered concessions to other public sector unions.
His homeowner and tenant tax hikes, while producing budget surpluses from 2003−06, resulted in a 60 percent increase in city spending. Things now cost twice as much as they did before 2002.
Acutely affected by Bloomberg’s well−thought−out solutions are those people who also live in cooperatives and condominiums, who are forced to pay higher maintenance increases to cover property tax increases.
Despite the falling values of these units and residential homes, property taxes continue to rise. This mayor thinks a good solution is created from bludgeoning New Yorkers with tax hikes.
His attempted reconciliation with the Republican Party and New Yorkers is too little, too late.
Anthony LoGiudice
Clearview Gardens
