Big bucks real estate

To the editor:

If tenants have a problem with their landlord, Jeff Klein’s office will provide sympathy and possibly real help. But behind the scenes, he is as good a friend as New York’s landlords ever had.

Here’s why.

New York’s rent stabilization law was written with a sunset, that is, an expiration date. Historically, Republicans have used the possible expiration of the law to demand that provisions which weaken it be added as the price for renewal. These weakening changes have had the effect of steadily increasing rents and decreasing the number of rent-stabilized tenants. The long-range game plan is to make the law worthless for controlling rents, and/or make the number of rent-stabilized tenants so small that it is politically impossible to simply fail to renew the law.

Klein’s alliance with the Republican Party served as an insurance policy for the real estate industry. If enough Democrats were elected to give them control of the chamber, Klein would flip control back to the Republicans by allying his Independent Democratic Conference with them instead of the majority Democrats.

Jeff Klein says his IDC days are behind him. Can he be trusted? Even if he never revives his IDC, will he be working against tenant interests from within the Democratic state senate conference?

He is still getting the big bucks from big real estate. What does that tell you about what they think?

The weakening of the rent stabilization law makes everybody’s rent go up. Tenants should protect themselves and vote for Alessandra Biaggi on Sept. 13.

Gene Binder