The Fidler Theory of Bloomberg's Homeowner Rebate Cut

Lew Fidler thinks Michael Bloomberg’s cancellation of a $400 rebate for property owners is very bad, politically. Almost suspiciously so.

“When I heard about the rebate proposal, I thought he was trying to think he was trying to drive his numbers down so low as to make next year’s election a fair fight,” Fidler said. He went to say he was joking, but only a little.

“In 2004, the guy’s numbers were at 30 percent. Eighty million dollars later he beat Freddy Ferrer upside down and every which way. Is Bloomberg trying to bring his numbers down again so the race appears to be fair? It almost seems like it,” Fidler said.

Fidler also said the plan to rescind the $400 rebate may face a legal challenge, but it’s unclear if it would be successful. Which doesn’t matter too much, since Fidler said he thought the whole thing was part of the traditional budget dance: announce a bigger cut than what you want in order to get something less, and afterward claim to have gotten pretty much what you wanted.

“He threw this out there with the hope that we will trade it for the property tax increase that he’s looking for,” said Fidler.