Mayor Bloomberg Imposes a Victim Tax on New Yorkers
Rory Cooper /
Starting next summer, New Yorkers will get hit with a tax that is hard to believe even in the already overly-taxed metropolis of Manhattan. Firefighters will begin charging accident victims for their emergency services to the tune of hundreds of dollars, even if the victim was not at fault.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (I) newest tax would charge residents $490 for a car fire or accident with injury, $415 for a car fire without injury and $365 for any vehicle accident without injury. (New Yorkers must be relieved to know that they get $50 discount for not being injured!)
Beyond the economic absurdity, it is very obvious why this tax is such a bad deal. It discourages victims from reporting accidents, and even fires, and if reported, discourages victims from acknowledging injuries which may be life-threatening.
Some call it the “Crash Tax” but that unfairly presents the “event” itself as being taxed, as opposed to the victim. Words and integrity matter, and Mayor Bloomberg should be honest about who is paying the bill for the city’s fiscal incompetence. (more…)