Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman, who’s at present operating for New York governor, ripped Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax proposal in an interview with The Submit — branding it the newest left-wing coverage that’s “dropping companies and jobs each day”.
The proposed tax on luxurious second houses price greater than $5 million nonetheless wants approval from the state legislature. Nevertheless it’s already taking warmth from enterprise execs – particularly after Mamdani took intention at Citadel founder Ken Griffin’s $238 million penthouse in a viral video.
“Mamdani vilifies individuals who work onerous, play by the principles and use their brains to create prosperity, not just for themselves however for the neighborhood,” Blakeman informed The Submit when requested in regards to the video, during which a beaming Mamdani vowed to tax the billionaire’s property.
“He’s a hazard to the financial system of New York Metropolis, which has been, up ‘til now, the monetary capital of the world, however we’re dropping companies and jobs each day due to the insurance policies of Hochul and Mamdani,” Blakeman, a Republican, added.
Mamdani and Hochul’s places of work didn’t instantly reply to The Submit’s requests for remark.
Blakeman warned the tax may trigger an exodus of jobs from town, after an appalled Griffin signaled he’s contemplating scrapping a $6 billion Midtown improvement challenge because of this.
Hedge fund titan Invoice Ackman has additionally slammed the proposed tax on the rich, defending Griffin’s investments within the metropolis and warning the proposal may drive extra companies out of New York to low-tax states like Florida.
“If I had been Ken Griffin, I’d wait till November as a result of assistance is on the best way,” Blakeman mentioned, referring to his race in New York’s 2026 gubernatorial election. Major elections can be held on June 23.
Throughout an occasion at Diner 24 final week, Blakeman outlined his plan if elected governor, together with tax breaks for small companies and eating places and ending NYC congestion tolls.
Hochul – who’s up for re-election this yr – initially resisted Mamdani’s “tax-the-rich” proposals, that are an try and pay for marketing campaign guarantees like free childcare, free buses and city-owned grocery shops. However she flipped final week to assist the tax on second houses.
“You may’t belief Kathy Hochul. She does extra U-turns than a cab driver,” Blakeman informed The Submit – nodding to Hochul’s indefinite pause on Manhattan congestion tolls in 2024, which had been finally made everlasting in early 2025.
“Her document is excessive taxes, excessive utility prices, low financial improvement and making individuals depressing relatively than completely happy.”
Hochul’s marketing campaign has performed up Blakeman’s ties to President Trump, who has endorsed him within the November election – calling out the Nassau County pol’s controversial “civilian militia” program and claiming he raised taxes twice.
As presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, Blakeman voted to lift property taxes by 3.6% in 1998, and once more by 9.4% in 1999. He was reportedly seen because the “principal architect” of the 1999 tax hike on the time.
“I did vote for a small tax enhance 28 years in the past and I admit it was a mistake. I discovered my lesson and I haven’t raised taxes in my county for 4 straight years,” Blakeman informed The Submit.
New York state taxes, nonetheless, have soared sky-high, he argued – noting that New York’s price range is roughly twice the dimensions of Florida’s, although they’ve similarly-sized populations.
He additionally argued that New York’s wealthiest are already paying a bulk of state taxes, and in the event that they go away, it is going to be the center class who can be left to bear the burden.
The highest 1% of earners in New York state contribute 46.2% of all earnings taxes, in response to a SmartAsset research of 2025 IRS information.
“We don’t have a income downside; we now have a spending downside,” Blakeman mentioned. “If Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul are critical about their price range points, they need to cease spending billions of {dollars} on individuals who have been right here for quarter-hour.”
In early 2025, then-Mayor Eric Adams mentioned town has spent greater than $6.9 billion to look after immigrants over the previous three fiscal years.
