The Fig File for 12.19.08

The Fig File for 12.19.08 by: Mike Figliola

The Fig File: Where have you gone, Christine Quinn?

This truly is the season of giving here in Gotham. Seems as if everybody’s been bitten by that philanthropic feeling, so much so, that those very overdue home rebate checks that New Yorkers have been patiently waiting for since November, are now set to be dropped off in the mail promising to reach pockets no later than the New Year.

JOY.

This does sound a little too good to be true right? The last I heard from City Hall, there was simply not enough money during this economic crisis to send to New Yorkers their promised and lawfully guaranteed home rebate check. Next, a nasty tiff between Mayor Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn ensued - complete with kicks to the tukkus and a screaming match at Gracie Mansion, but still no home rebate check sent out. A must read in the papers and even brought alive on HD Radio through the John Gambling Show - via Speaker Quinn’s appearance this last month. So, how was the Mayor and Speaker Quinn able to reconcile their differences as well as the City’s fiscal situation enough to get the checks sent out? Must be magic. Even better than any illusion David Copperfield could ever pull off.  I liken it to the magnitude of the Statue Of Liberty disappearing from New York Harbor. The difference here is that when Lady Liberty reappears, she isn’t landing her worn copper sandal on your wallet. Not my big green babe.

Here’s the Hocus Pocus:

January 1: New Yorkers will receive their 400 dollar home rebate. WE WIN!
January 1: New Yorkers will be hit with a 7% increase on property taxes. WE LOSE.

Two columns ago I praised Christine Quinn for fighting for the over charged apartment dwellers, the double mortgage home owners, the blue collar to the bone contingent that I was finally starting to see showing on her lapel. What has become apparent is that she has caved into this money making scheme; get this: the property tax rate is forecasting a revenue of 576 million in the current budget year and 1.15 billion in the next.

How does that 400 bucks feel now?

Christine Quinn, you’re killing me. This rebate means nothing to anyone as it is another worthless piece of paper sent to us from the government. I was truly of the mind that you were going to take this to task with the Mayor and fight it out in streets, on the television, radio, print, even in Boss Tweed’s Courthouse (how fitting). You would have had every single New Yorker in your corner, breathing your fire, wiping your brow, believing that you would be a political leader of the people, even a Mayor of tomorrow. Instead you are the Christine Quinn of today; the girl in the ‘saw the lady in half magic trick’, half the people, and half the pain.

I guess some magic acts end up the same.

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