I have written about today's topic before, more three years ago. My blog posting back then was titled, "Taxing The Rich." I was reacting, at that time, to a newspaper column by Dan Walters, whose opinions frequently appear in Cal Matters.
Today, under a slightly different but obviously related title, I am expressing pretty much the same opinion I did last time around. The grammtical formulation I am using for my title today, however, pretty much gives away my own thoughts on the matter right upfront. A blog posting titled, "Taxing The Rich" could announce an even-handed exploration of the pros and cons, with no actual opinion ever being voiced. My title today, "Tax The Rich," is in the "imperative mood," which is grammatically utilized to convey a "command or request."
Grammar is important, you know!
Today's posting is written with reference to two different newspaper articles, each of the articles having been published on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. One of those articles is from The New York Times. The title of that article, in the hardcopy version of the paper, was, "Developer Blasts Mayor For Pushing Taxes On Rich." Online, the title is a bit more strident. When you click that link I have just provided, the online headline reads, "In Attack On Mamdani, Vornado Chief Likens ‘Tax The Rich’ To Hate Speech." Vornado Realty Trust owns and operates a lot of real estate, including nearly 20 million square feet of prime office properties," to cite its website. The person with the somewhat dyspeptic expression shown above is Steven Roth, the chief executive of Vornado.
The link to Roth's name will take you to Wikipedia, and the Wikipedia article about Roth says that Vornado Realty Trust is "the largest commercial landlord in New York City." The Times' article, by Dana Rubinstein, discusses a proposal by New York State Governor, Kathy Hochul to increase property taxes on second home properties, and lets readers know that New York City's Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, thinks that's a pretty good idea. In case you don't have a visual image of the Mayor, he is pictured below. His cheery smile provides a mighty contrast to Roth's grim and dissatisfied countenance.
On the same day The Times' article appeared, Nicholas G. Miller wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal. That article was headlined, "Taxes On Second Homes Divide Owners, Advocates." Among those whose taxes would go up, if the so-called "Pied-a-Terre" tax is ultimately enacted, is Taylor Swift.
I am not voicing any explicit opinion on the specific tax proposal that is the subject of these two articles, since I haven't reviewed the text. However, I do think that it is completely appropriate to ask those with extreme wealth to step up to the plate to provide support for the government that represents all of us. It is is not unfair, in my opinion, to ask those who have more to pay more. Certainly, those who advocate for this proposition are not engaging in "hate speech." They're just asking those who have the ability to do so to help, according to their ability, to support the society that is home to us all.
Image Credits:
(2) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohran_Mamdani
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