New York’s Property Tax Crackdown Is Just the Beginning

$25 million hidden over 7 years

Supreme Court star Tom Goldstein sentenced to six years in prison for hiding millions in poker winnings from the IRS

A prominent Washington lawyer who argued more than 40 cases before the Supreme Court was handcuffed in a Maryland courtroom Friday after a federal judge sentenced him to six years in prison for tax evasion and financial fraud tied to a secret high-stakes gambling habit.

Thomas Goldstein, 56, stood before U.S. District Judge Lydia Griggsby in Greenbelt, Maryland, at the end of a day-long hearing and heard a sentence that caps one of the most dramatic falls in modern legal Washington.

The Democrat and co-founder of the widely read legal news site SCOTUSblog (I read this blog) had asked the court for leniency, his defense lawyers requested a term of supervised release that would let him "repay his debts, address his gambling addiction and contribute to society." Griggsby rejected that request outright.

Prosecutors had pushed for more than eight years. The judge split the difference but made clear she saw no ambiguity in the evidence. Reuters reported that Griggsby told the courtroom, "Every American understands that they have an obligation to pay taxes," and added bluntly: "I don't think this is a close case."

Read about it...

Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes

How Lake Worth Beach could be impacted if voters raise the homestead exemption in November

‘It’s going to affect everything,’ a city commissioner says about millions in projected revenue losses that could lead to cuts in public services and programs.

IF VOTERS RAISE Florida’s homestead exemption in November, Lake Worth Beach homeowners can expect deep cuts not just to their tax bills but to the public services and programs they receive from the city.

The “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” constitutional amendment requires approval by 60% of statewide voters.

Here’s how Lake Worth Beach will be impacted if it passes, according to an analysis by Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks using 2025 property values:

Lake Worth Beach has 5,673 homesteaded properties representing nearly 44 percent of the city’s 13,067 parcels.

• If the $50,000 homestead exemption is raised to $150,000, the city would lose about about $3.5 million in property tax revenue in 2027.
• If the homestead exemption is raised to $250,000, the city would lose about $4.75 million in revenue in 2028.
• Applied to the current city budget, that’s a loss of about 18 percent and 25 percent, respectively, in the $19.3 million in property tax revenue that makes up nearly 36% of the $53.6 million general fund.
• That lost revenue could force Lake Worth Beach officials to make tough decisions about cuts their constituents may not like. The challenge comes as Lake Worth Beach property values have reached a milestone — $4.005 billion, an 8.7% increase, according to preliminary 2026 estimates released by Jacks’ office last week.

The property tax reform ballot question will be a main topic at a town hall meeting at the Casino Complex on July 25. Commissioner Anthony Segrich, who’s hosting the town hall, said he hopes residents will offer suggestions on what to cut.

DeSantis Puts Florida Homeowners First

DeSantis Offers Historic Property Tax Savings to Florida Homeowners

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis used a Sunday interview to argue for a major property tax break that could leave more money in the hands of homeowners instead of government offices. He said the state is in a strong position because Florida has no income tax, a relatively light tax load, and a budget culture that has kept spending in check.

That may sound almost old-fashioned in today’s political world, where too many leaders treat taxpayer dollars like a free buffet. DeSantis said the goal is simple: make homeownership less of a burden and give families real relief...A Bigger Homestead Exemption Could Mean Real Savings.

The plan DeSantis discussed would raise Florida’s homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000, which he said could wipe out property taxes for roughly 60 percent of homeowners. He framed it as a direct win for residents who have watched home values climb while tax bills have followed close behind.

DeSantis also pointed out that local governments have seen huge growth in property tax revenue, rising from $32 billion in 2019 to $60 billion now. That is a big jump by any measure, and it gives the lie to the idea that taxpayers must keep footing the bill forever just because government got used to the money...Spending Discipline Still Matters.

DeSantis said Florida’s state budget will reflect four straight years of spending reductions, and he tied that discipline to the state’s ability to offer tax relief. He argued that if homestead property tax revenue were reduced or even eliminated, local budgets would simply return to around 2021 or 2022 levels, not collapse into chaos as the usual tax-and-spend crowd might suggest.

He also noted that the state has surplus money set aside and wants to create a fund to issue grants to local governments. In other words, Florida is trying something radical in modern politics: spending less, keeping the lights on, and letting taxpayers keep more of what they earn.

Read more about it...

Zohran taxing the Rich

Mandani being run out of town

The Affordability Crisis

Democrats "affordability" Crisis

Mamdani ran on affordability. He told New Yorkers he would make the city work for working people.

His solution to that promise is a 9.5 percent property tax hike that will land squarely on landlords, who will pass it directly to renters, and a wealth tax scheme designed to chase out the very tax base that funds the city's services.

This is the progressive governance feedback loop in its purest form:

• Spend beyond your means.
• Blame the previous administration.
• Propose taxes that punish productivity and reward government expansion.
• Watch the tax base flee (to Florida).
• Blame the fleeing tax base for the revenue shortfall.
• Repeat.

California has run this cycle for years. Illinois knows it well. New York City, under Mamdani, appears eager to sprint through it.

Read about it...

The Florida House of Representatives approved a joint resolution on Thursday to put in motion a possible constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would completely end non-school property taxes for homesteaded properties beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.

The final vote was 80-30, with all Republicans supporting the proposal and all Democrats opposing it.

Communist Mamdani going to squeeze the wealthy

Mamdani Plans To Raise Property Taxes In NYC By 10% As Part Of ‘Affordability’ Push

Communists believe in the elimination of wealth inequality, ensuring resources are distributed based on need

Which in this case is the mismanaged city of New York.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) said Tuesday that he is prepared to raise city property taxes by nearly 10% if New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and state lawmakers refuse to increase taxes on corporations and high-income earners.

Mamdani released his preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget proposal outlining how he intends to close a projected $5.4 billion deficit. The mayor described a property tax increase as a “last resort” but made clear it remains on the table if Albany does not act.

“Today, I’m releasing the City’s preliminary budget. After years of fiscal mismanagement, we’re staring at a $5.4 billion budget gap — and two paths. One: Albany can raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy and the most profitable corporations and address the fiscal imbalance between our city and state. The other, a last resort: balance the budget on the backs of working people using the only tools at the City’s disposal,” Mamdani wrote Tuesday on X.

“This is not a conversation on the basis of ideology." This is a conversation about a fiscal crisis. I have long believed in the importance of taxing the rich. I’ve said so publicly many a time, and I’ve long believed in the need for the state and the city’s relationship to be a fair one.

What we are speaking about in this moment, however, is not just that long-standing belief, the long-standing issues that have characterized that relationship, but a generational fiscal crisis of $5.4 billion,” the mayor said. (It's the other guy's fault!!)

He added: “And when faced with this crisis, the question is: who should pay these taxes? I believe that it should be the wealthiest New Yorkers, the most profitable corporations."

Read about it...

Governor Abigail Spanberger conned the voters

Virginia Democrats Push Big Pay Hike FOR THEMSELVES

Lawmakers in blue state Virginia are facing fresh criticism this week. A budget amendment would more than double legislative pay. It comes as Democrats in Richmond pursue a slate of tax increases and new levies.

The pay plan is tied to SB30. It was introduced in the state Senate by L. Louise Lucas and in the House by Vivian Edna Watts. The amendment would raise pay in both chambers by about 150%.

That math means current salaries would jump substantially. Supporters argue it helps attract diverse candidates and offsets rising costs. Opponents say it’s tone-deaf while families juggle higher bills and new taxes.

Republican critics have been blunt. “They ran on ‘affordability,’ but all they’ve done is introduce insane left-wing policies and take from your pocket to line their own. TOTAL CON JOB!”

Read more...

They are under-paid and this raise will not take effect until 2028.

Virginia could be the highest taxed state in the country

Virginia Set to Become Highest-Taxed State

What a distinction

Something big is happening in blue state Virginia. And fast. Well, they voted in a Democrat governor for one thing.

Democrats just took control. Lawmakers are already pushing several bills that would raise taxes, in ways that would hit high earners—and could ripple wider.

One headline put it bluntly: “Virginia State Tax Rate Could Rise From 5.75% to 13.8%, Highest In The Nation”. That’s the math folks are talking about if two key proposals both pass.

Here’s what’s on the table. HB 979 would change the income tax brackets. It would add new top rates for the wealthy. The bill text says exactly: “establishes two new tax brackets beginning on and after January 1, 2027, that tax income in excess of $600,000 but not in excess of $1,000,000 at a rate of eight percent and income in excess of $1,000,000 at a rate of 10 percent.”

There’s also HB 378. It would impose a 3.8% net investment income tax on individuals, trusts and estates beginning in 2027. If that and HB 979 both happen, critics say the combined top tax bite could reach roughly 13.8%—outranking California’s current top rate.

Read more...

Florida TaxWatch

Florida TaxWatch Calls for Equitable (Fair & Impartial) Property Tax Relief

Florida TaxWatch is recommending that Florida lawmakers pursue property tax relief that applies more evenly across taxpayers and avoids broad elimination proposals that could shift costs onto renters, businesses and newer homeowners.

In a report released on Thursday, “Save Our Taxpayers – Property Tax Relief Must be Accomplished Equitably,” the nonprofit group said property tax levies have risen sharply in recent years, reaching $59.2 billion in fiscal year 2025-26, and that policymakers should focus on reforms that reduce disparities between homestead and non-homestead property while preserving funding for core local services.

TaxWatch’s primary recommendation is what it calls a “Save Our Taxpayers” constitutional amendment, which would replace Florida’s current 10% annual assessment cap for non-homestead properties with a cap matching the Save Our Homes limit on homestead properties. Under that approach, annual assessment increases for all properties would be capped at the lesser of 3% or inflation.

TaxWatch also recommended that any new benefit limited to homestead property be paired with a requirement that local governments temporarily adopt the “rolled-back rate,” after accounting for any newly exempted taxable value.

The group said that approach would help ensure that the intended tax savings are delivered to homeowners rather than being offset through higher millage rates, and would also limit the shifting of burdens to non-homestead properties.

I can't remember when Lake Worth Beach ever voted to adopt the rolled-back-rate.

Read more of their suggestions

Florida Property Taxes

Florida property tax reform: 2026 could be pivotal year

State leaders are pushing major cuts, but local officials warn it could impact police, fire, emergency services

However, local government officials are raising concerns about how they would maintain critical services without property tax revenue.

Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch was even more direct in her criticism.

"Do (Florida lawmakers) want us to hold bake sales to make up the lack of funds? Should we have a garage sale?" Resch said in March. "I just don't understand where they think the money is going to come from."

The tension escalated in December when Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia accused Palm Beach County of overspending by $344 million.

Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo disagrees.

Read more...

What about reducing your budget Lake Worth. The City raised more money because property values went up. We needed DOGE.

Current proposals in Florida to eliminate property taxes are focused specifically on homesteaded primary residences, meaning non-homesteaded properties would still be subject to these taxes.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and various House leaders have put forward several plans, all of which target tax relief for owner-occupied homes (homesteads). The general consensus among these proposals is that properties such as rental units, vacation homes, and commercial real estate would continue to pay property taxes, and may even face higher rates to compensate for the lost revenue from homesteads.

Cutting Homsteaded property taxes could cripple local governments

Florida property tax relief could hurt city services, study says

Eliminating or significantly reducing Florida property taxes could “fundamentally destabilize local finance” for municipalities that rely on the revenue, according to a new study released as tax relief legislation moves forward.

The study, conducted by Wichita State University and released by the Florida League of Cities, a group that lobbies for the state’s municipalities, found that cutting homestead property taxes would likely result in less funding for police and fire departments, public works services and parks unless other revenue sources are found.

Property taxes make up approximately 43% of municipal general fund revenue and are the only stable, locally controlled revenue sources for Florida cities, the study said.

Fully eliminating homestead property taxes would mean a nearly 38% loss in ad valorem revenue and a 14% drop in general fund revenue, according to the study.

Read more about it...

DeSantis on cutting property taxes

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks Wednesday at the Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion

"Gov. Ron DeSantis explained how he decided to slash local property taxes while tackling other hot-button topics in hourlong remarks Wednesday at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach.

Why it matters: The governor made his remarks a day before a House committee released eight tax-cutting proposals, all taking aim at local property taxes, which generate $55 billion a year.

Zoom in: The governor, who is term-limited next year, honed in on relief for homesteaded properties, saying cities and counties can still collect full taxes on rental units, seasonal homes and commercial properties.

What he’s saying: “So people say, ‘Well, where are you going to get the money?’ Well, how come nobody asks, ‘Why can't government spend less money?’”

Yes, but: While he said about 70% of property taxes come from non-homesteaded properties, in Palm Beach County, non-homesteaded properties account for 59% of the tax base."

— Joel Engelhardt, Stet News

Tim Walz

Governor Walz broadening his Tax base

Florida's Strategy to cut Property Taxes

Florida unveils strategy to slash property taxes statewide. Could it work?

Potentially wasteful spending could prove need for tax cuts, CFO said

What we have seen over the last five years, post-COVID, is that local governments have taken their budgets and expanded them greatly,” Ingoglia stated.

According to the CFO, the general fund budgets for these local governments, which are funded by property taxes, have gone up on average between 60% - 120%.

Furthermore, he argued that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these governments used federal funds to greatly expand their scope and — in some cases — grant “egregious raises” to employees.

And then, thanks to the flood of new residents coming into the state, these governments were able to accrue even more tax revenue, which allowed them to keep up their spending, Blaise claimed.

“When you go back pre-COVID, and you start factoring in inflation and population growth, those budgets should not have exploded anywhere near where they’re exploding right now,” he added.

Read more about it...

Tough Love for Mexico President's graft

A few excerpts from Victor Davis Hanson's article

Victor Davis Hanson on Claudia Sheinbaum

Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. I’d like to talk about illegal immigration, but specifically about the new president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum.

She’s been very vocal about U.S. policy toward Mexico. For example, she said she would offer legal counsel to her citizens that were here illegally that were picked up, she thought, unfairly or too violently by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

She also said that the United States had no business taxing remittances—that is money that Mexican nationals here, for the most part illegally, send back to Mexico.

Many of these people sending back that money to Mexico are on local, state, federal entitlements for housing, for food, for education, for health care. In other words, we the taxpayers subsidize illegal aliens so that they can free up cash to send back to people in Mexico in dire poverty that can’t find redress of grievances from Sheinbaum’s own government.

She said, “Do not come into Mexican national ground if you’re going after the cartels.” That’s understandable, but the cartels are going into our ground.

So, what I’m getting at is she’s very, very intrusive in American politics. But here’s the problem: A recent Pew poll, taken just last year, showed a striking asymmetry. Whereas 61% of Mexican citizens have a favorable view of the United States, only 31% of Americans have a favorable view of Mexico.

Why is Mexico running a $171 billion trade surplus with the United States? Because China is avoiding tariffs by sending products to Mexico, which then Mexico assembles and exports with less duty into the United States.

Victor Davis Hanson offers his tough love solutions

Big Beautiful Bill

The One Big Beautiful Bill

Click for Savings by State

After you click on the link, click on the map below to see the impact that the OBBB will have in your state by delivering the largest tax cut in history, higher wages, higher take-home pay, and much more. Estimates are for a family of four.

Some of the savings in Florida:

No Tax on Tips Share Labor Force Benefit-- 6%
Seniors Benefiting from No Tax on Social Security-- 4.8M
No Tax on Overtime Share Workforce Benefit-- 22%
No Tax on Overtime Potential Share Workforce Benefit-- 65%
Jobs Protected-- 408k
Share Employees in Manufacturing-- 4%
Employers Potentially Eligible for the 199A Deduction-- 441k
Opportunity Zone Jobs Created-- 58k
Opportunity Zone Housing Units Created-- 16k

See the full data in the pdf file.

Eliminating property taxes in poor Florida counties

DeSantis offers plan to eliminate property taxes for poor, rural counties

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the state to take over some funding of government services for rural, thinly-populated fiscally constrained counties and allow them to eliminate their property taxes.

DeSantis made the statement at an economic development announcement in Crawfordville on Monday.

His estimate of how much this would cost Florida taxpayers would be about $300 million per year, a drop in the bucket of the nearly $50 billion in general fund spending that is part of a tentative budget deal by lawmakers.

The state’s fiscally distressed counties, as listed by the Florida Secretary of State’s Office includes: Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Washington and Walton counties.

So, for the moment Mayor Resch, you can relax but it’s part of DeSantis’ ultimate goal to get all homesteaded property owners in Florida a one-time rebate and later permanent relief on their property taxes, which have been increasing due to annual assessments. Property taxes are levied at $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, known as a mill.

Read about it...