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New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is proposing a property tax hike aimed directly at the city’s “richer and whiter neighborhoods,” according to a review of his campaign platform by the New York Post.

The proposal was conceived to address irregularities in the city’s property tax burden, although the language in the platform conflated race and economic status: “Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods.”

Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, has raised concerns and irritation among many New Yorkers with calls for rent freezes and raising corporate taxes. In a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he claimed “I don’t think that we should have billionaires” because of perceived income inequality gaps. However, he also used his “Meet the Press” appearance to downplay fears that he would turn the city into a socialist nightmare.

“I want to make clear that my vision for this city is a vision for every single New Yorker, including business leaders across the city,” Mamdani said. “And the reason I say that is that my proposals, even the ones to increase the top corporate tax rate of New York to match that of New Jersey, are ones that would also benefit those business leaders. Because when I have conversations with them what I also hear is just how expensive this city is preventing them from attracting and retaining the talent they need to grow their business. And ultimately, I’m looking forward to having those meetings, having those sitdowns to make clear why this vision would benefit all.”

Photo: New York Attorney General Letitia James and Zohran Mamdani at the Pride Parade in New York City, courtesy of Mamdani’s Facebook page