Staten Island Pol Gets Real Estate Taxes Frozen; Staten Islanders Attack Pol, Russians, Etc.

By Roy Edroso Tue., Jul. 21 2009 at 5:13 PM

Categories: Democracy, Featured, Politics, Staten Island

One thing we love about our Staten Island paisans: they aren't easily appeased, especially by politicians. Today the Staten Island Advance gave credit to local assemblymember Janele Hyer-Spencer -- last noted here for winning funds for a new community center, and thus stirring up Staten Island's strangely powerful anti-Russian biases -- because she helped push through a state law that "freezes real estate taxes for a year" in New York and, most importantly, Staten Island. She says it'll save the folks a little money, about $177 a year for a regular-size house.

Are Advance commenters grateful? Fugeddaboutit! "I'm sure the bloodsuckers will take it all back tenfold next fiscal year," says BigMoe11. "WHAT ABOUT A REBATE FOR ALL THE MONEY THAT WAS TAKEN FROM OUR POCKETS SINCE 1992?" asks GIGIFALCONE. Some point out that they are paying more in taxes now than they were in 2000, and "We MUST remember this come election time!" Others recall with bitterness the community center Hyer-Spencer supported that would have benefited the hated Russians. Still others wish their opinions known on the assemblymember's appearance: "the facelift that sank a thousand ships," says one; "she looks like a melted barbie doll," says another.

These are not the most well-reasoned arguments in the world, but given how much our politicians like to tell us that they're moving heaven and earth on our behalf, and how little most of us push back, it's nice to see even some incoherent resistance.

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