Mamdani’s Tax List Reveals the Dark Side of Socialist Class Warfare

It should be no surprise that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani not only wants to tax the rich but dox them too.

On Monday, New York’s Department of Finance published a searchable database of properties that could fall under New York’s new so-called pied-à-terre tax on second homes in the city.

The New York Post ran a very New York Post headline, “Pied-A-Terror,” and noted that the database is a “comprehensive list—which purports to cover all unoccupied, non-primary residences in the five boroughs worth north of $1 million—including the full names and addresses of every property owner.”

Some of the names on this list were big time Mamdani cheerleaders like actress Cynthia Nixon and fashion icon Anna Wintour. There are many, many other celebrities on the list too.

They have only themselves to blame for the price they’ll pay for their support. More on that in a bit.

But it wasn’t just obnoxious celebrities and the uber wealthy who made the cut.

“Citywide, The Post counted over 960,000 residences and individuals listed as potentially in line to be hit with Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax, even though just 31,000 homes were supposed to be subjected to the new levy as he and [New York Gov. Kathy] Hochul initially sold it to the public,” the New York Post reported.

The Mamdani administration insists that they’ve done nothing out of the ordinary and are only following New York State law on transparency.

“As per State law, a property roll was released for public inspection. From this list, [Department of Finance] will identify properties that may be subject to the new non-primary residence property surcharge,” an administration spokesperson said to Fox News.

Yet, as a Fox News report also noted, “critics argue the database goes well beyond traditional public records by compiling the names and addresses of affluent property owners into a single, easily searchable location, potentially creating new privacy and security risks.”

It’s a little hard to believe that this database was just created for the purpose of easy compliance.

After all, Mamdani already ran with a creepy Tax Day ad in which he not only cheered the taxing of the rich but personally called out Citadel CEO Ken Griffin in front of the billionaire’s New York home.

“What really upset me about [Mamdani’s] video was the fact that he put me in harm’s way,” Griffin said on CNBC following the ad’s release. “You know, he seems to have forgotten that the CEO of another American company was assassinated just blocks from where I live in New York. And to put any citizen in harm’s way is just inappropriate for one of our political leaders.”

Griffin was referring to the slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. His alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, is a hero to more than a few activists and even some journalists in the city.

We live in a time when the assassination of politicians and public figures is becoming commonplace.

Is it a stretch to think that public information about where wealthy people live won’t make some of them a target for vicious fanatics looking to make a name for themselves?

As some have noted, Mamdani’s governance may prompt many to move away or at the very least sell their second property.

This will likely be a problem for Mamdani’s agenda in the long run as wealthier residents leave the city because they are tired of the tax burden or feel threatened.

But in the short run, this is clearly what the young, socialist mayor wants.

He’s willing to let the city go broke to secure power and create the image that he’s “delivering” on his promises even if that means long-term ruin.

We’ve seen this game play out before in plenty of socialist countries. The groups he’s targeting may take their taxpayer dollars with them, but they’ll play the part he wants them to in his grand narrative.

It’s not enough to just extract wealth from the “billionaires,” who may not actually be billionaires or even millionaires. He needs these “enemies” to act as a foil in his ruthless politics of resentment.

Mamdani’s whole message revolves around the idea that he’s going to shake down the privileged few and give to the many.

He’s going to squeeze the pied-a-terres to support his “working class” constituents who are often just underemployed aspiring-elites with a postgraduate degree, underwhelming job prospects, and a lot of student debt.

Does that little inconsistency bother them? It’s doubtful.

People who think they are just temporarily embarrassed, “downtrodden” elites with a bone to pick with reality tend to be the leaders of most revolutionary movements.

And it couldn’t be clearer that they intend to grab hold of this moment to carry out their wider ideological agenda while they have momentum. The celebrities and wealthy who were foolish enough to back this movement will soon get a rude awakening that the revolutionary forces they helped unleash are coming for them too.

They don’t even care if you’ve been a good leftist.

If you are one of the rich, are Jewish… er a “Zionist,” or are one of the white oppressors you are an enemy of the people and on notice.

If you are one of those wealthy celebrities foolish enough to support them, they’ll accept your contribution then maybe they’ll eat you last.

And if you are just a regular guy or gal with a small business trying to make your way, well you’ll have to pay too.

That’s the way it works. They were warned.

AUTHOR

Jarrett Stepman

Jarrett Stepman is a columnist for The Daily Signal. He is also the author of “The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America’s Past.” Send an email to Jarrett. Follow on X JarrettStepman.

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