3/5 Meeting with H.P.D.

Joanne Batista our property manager, Jeff Schwartz our attorney, and four members of the board were given an opportunity to meet with Julie Walpert and Joe Quigley of H.P.D. on 3/5. The topic of conversation was a new rule that requires shareholders to be charged an additional $150. a month penalty on top of a 50% surcharge if they didn't state their income on the affidavit. In the past residents were allowed to accept the full surcharge without disclosing the exact dollar amount. It's interesting to note that H.P.D. was forced to drop the long standing rule that shareholders whose earnings were over the income limit for three years would be evicted. This rule instituted since the time of Moses was unenforceable, and left them in an awkward position. How do they deal with shareholders with very high incomes when the surcharge is capped at 50%? Whether you make 150k or 1.5 million you pay the same maintenance charge. In this current environment of class warfare that is unacceptable, at least as far as Warren Buffet and his secretary are concerned. H.P.D.'s plan (or lack of one) seems to involve collecting income information, penalizing those who don't comply, and hopefully in the future some bureaucrat will develop a formula for a sliding scale surcharge of as was alluded to by Julie Walpert. She indicated it might go as high as 100 or 150%. This is putting the cart before the horse. Develop a formula first, hold hearings, then codify and enforce. This is an issue that is long overdue, it cannot be improvised as you go along, and highlights a lack of vision on the part of H.P.D. They are also genuinely concerned that once the 99% finds out that millionaires live in subsidized housing there will be an Occupy H.P.D. demonstration. I just hope those chefs from Zuccotti Park show up.

I'll occupy the salmon cakes, wild heirloom
potatoes, and quinoa salad please.

This article does not reflect the opinion of any board member other Dan Nasco, and is written to entertain as well as inform.