Letter: Don’t ignore the New York City Mayor and his socialist-leaning visions

Dear Editor,

Tioga County residents shouldn’t panic over the newly elected New York City Mayor- but don’t ignore this result either.

Newly elected NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani expresses some bold socialist-leaning visions for New York City. While most of his activities won’t affect Tioga County, New York residents, there are a couple of policy areas we should keep a watch on – rent control and MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) state funding.

Few economists of either right or left-leaning belief systems advocate rent control as a sensible policy to improve housing affordability. Sustained prices at below-market rates for rental housing cause a withdrawal of development for these housing units. Existing landlords lose profitability, neglect their properties, and cause tenants to endure grief from poor-quality conditions in their apartments.

There are many better ideas out there for housing affordability (relaxed zoning restrictions, code enforcement focused upon genuine safety concerns vs. aesthetic standards, streamlined permitting, and cash help for some of the working poor to help them pay rent) that the mayor should explore. Sadly, the NYS legislature has already adopted rules to allow the expansion of rent control throughout the state, and several cities have already latched onto the policy idea. Mamdani could leverage this problem to worsen.

Let’s be sure that Tioga County, New York officials keep rent control ideas off the table. But also make sure that we don’t see some elected officials leap toward an even nastier approach – avoid the rent control problem by expanding exclusionary single-family home zoning. Some elected officials may seek to avoid the rent control problem by virtual prohibition of rental housing. That would be a very unjust preemptive response.

Our county residents should also keep an eye on state government appropriations to the MTA. The state already supports the MTA with over $4 billion a year in state taxpayer support. The MTA is a bloated and corrupt organization, with long-standing protectionist rules that make subway construction and maintenance costs far higher than anywhere else on Earth. The construction labor unions have been able to sustain requirements for inspectors and other job titles that have been obsolete for decades, driving up costs.

Keep pressure on legislators to limit growth in state taxpayer support of the MTA. The MTA is in dire need of fiscal pressure and restraint. Tioga residents should keep an eye on the ideas of the new mayor to make sure they do not negatively impact us here, hundreds of miles away, through changes in state legislative policies.

Sincerely,

Rich Purtell

Apalachin, N.Y. 

Miriam Osorio

Elmira, N.Y.