Mamdani’s switch on COPA is one small sign the – Latest News
A glimmer of sanity emerged from City Hall this week, as information emerged that former mayor Eric Adams’ last-minute veto of the “Community Opportunity to Purchase Act” — which might give “mission-driven non-profits” a first crack at shopping for house buildings — will stand.
To the disappointment of COPA’s supporters, there aren’t enough votes to override the veto, and neither Mayor Zohran Mamdani nor Council Speaker Julie Menin have the urge for food or will to shove it by.
Menin was by no means a fan, and abstained on the COPA vote in Dec., so it’s not stunning that she’s not whipping her delegation into line. But Mamdani vigorously backed COPA in his marketing campaign, saying it was a needed protection towards “corporate landlords” and “slumlords.”
So why’s he modified his tune?
It’s reported broadly that the metropolis’s Law Department questioned the constitutionality of COPA, which might insert the authorities into non-public transactions, disrupt “freedom of contract” and presumably violate the clause towards unjust “takings.”
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No kidding: Many critics of the invoice raised simply this challenge during debate, and warned that any cheap decide would throw the law out. COPA would delay property gross sales for months whereas politically-connected non-profits poke round to seek out funding — all the whereas driving costs down and facilitating the DSA’s wacky imaginative and prescient of “social housing.”
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We are seeing what occurs when socialistic dreaming provides option to the sensible realities of governing. It’s one factor to rally for radical housing insurance policies as a legislative back-bencher; it’s a complete ‘nother challenge to be in the place of executing and defending unworkable insurance policies.
Not to say the embarrassment of having a signature piece of laws get struck down by the courts.
Everyone wants a sprint of cold water to the face generally to shock us to actuality. Let’s hope we’re seeing the daybreak of pragmatism rising over City Hall.
