The Rent Control Lotto
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Dear Adam Bonislawski,
A well done analysis; I think you’ve hit the nail on the head regarding the essential lottery aspect of stabilization/control. (Op-Ed, Volume III, Issue 10, May 25) Everyone knows they won’t win the lottery, but they continue to buy tickets because it’s “Hey, you never know.” This mentality has, in my opinion, taken over every aspect of our society, all the way through the war in Iraq (WMD? Hey, you never know! Democracy in the Middle East by killing thousands? Hey, you never know!).
The truly unfortunate side-effect of rent-control is that it is both the poor and the small landlord who get screwed. Large landlords buy the outcome they need from the tenant, city, or L&T court, and in most low-income neighborhoods, the legal rent is higher than the market rent! The small landlord can’t make money on his good properties, and so cannot hope to expand or renovate housing elsewhere. The administrative overhead/nightmare that is the DHCR and HPD is incredibly reminiscent of Soviet ministries which accomplished nothing with thousands of employees. Any filing with these organizations can take years to resolve, and you can never get a straight answer about the status.
If Mayor Bloomberg were serious about construction jobs in New York City, he would abandon the bloviated concept of a West Side stadium and concentrate on eliminating rent-control with an incentive for small landlords to build new housing.
Noah Osnos
To whomever is responsible,
Re: “Wiener Dogs Gone Wild: The Sordid Underbelly of the Downtown Dachshund.” (Cover headline, Vol. III, Issue 10, May 25)
Funny shit. I laughed my ass off when I read that title.
Great wording.
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