OfficiaL '16 NYK offseason thread, Melo goes to bodega in bathrobe and Olympic hat

[johnnyredstorm]

Fisher was better than Rambis

What does that say?

 

[nick.]

Sean Marks is gonna get the Nets back in the playoffs before Phil gets us in.

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

James Dolan outchea still finessin' the City.

[h2]James Dolan's Madison Square Garden will generate an estimated $48.5 million that the city would have been entitled to collect if no Garden tax exemption was in place.[/h2]
Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes … unless you’re James Dolan.

The Knicks may be one of the sorriest NBA franchises in the league, but Dolan, the chairman of Madison Square Garden, can take comfort in the special property tax exemption that saves him from paying the city nearly $50 million on the luxurious and recently renovated home of the Knicks and Rangers.

For the 2016 fiscal year, according to the New York City Independent Budget Office, the Garden will generate an estimated $48.5 million that the city would have been entitled to collect if no Garden tax exemption existed.

“This tax exemption is unfortunately another example of government policies and practices that give preferential treatment to large corporations rather than focus on what’s in the best interests of the public,” says noted attorney and Knicks fan Norman Siegel.

The tax break has been enshrined in law since 1982, when mayor Ed Koch approved it to keep the Garden’s owners from acting on a threatened move to New Jersey. But despite local and state politicians pushing to have the tax break removed, any legislation ultimately has stalled in Albany, keeping alive the 34-year (and counting) streak.

Two years ago, the New York City Council passed a resolution asking Gov. Cuomo to sign legislation to repeal MSG’s real property tax exemption, but Cuomo has gone on the record saying he is not in favor of removing the tax relief. In a recent sign that MSG is trying to bolster its efforts on the issue, one of Cuomo’s trusted advisers, Joseph Percoco, left his post as Cuomo’s executive deputy secretary in December to work for MSG.

“They’ve paid more lobbyists than taxes,” says David Weprin, the Democratic State Assemblyman who represents District 24 in Queens, when asked how the Garden has been able to continue enjoying tax relief.

“The city could use that revenue − to help with education, hire more police officers, more firefighters.”
 
Weprin says that for the seven years he has been a State Assemblyman, he has sponsored a bill to eliminate the Garden’s property tax exemption, only to see MSG’s lobbyists and political allies run interference in Albany. But Weprin is sponsoring Bill No. A03421, which will be part of an upcoming agenda for the State Assembly’s Committee on Real Property Taxation.

“No exemption is granted in perpetuity. The purpose of this bill is to eliminate the (Garden) exemption, but to ensure that fans are not penalized by the owners of the facility, in the form of passing onto them any charges or other costs as a proxy for the taxes the owners must pay,” reads the bill.

Sandy Galef, the chair of the Committee on Real Property Taxation and an Assemblywoman representing the 95th Assembly District in Westchester, says it is “unimaginable” that a corporation could enjoy such tax relief for so long.

“I’ve never seen anybody have a total exemption forever. I’ve seen deals where, in older parts of cities where they are trying to revitalize a downtown area, there are exemptions. But gradually those exemptions disappear,” says Galef. “It seems to me that (New York City) could develop a plan with Madison Square Garden to start having it pay some tax over time.” Should the committee vote to pass the bill, it would have to next make its way through the state Ways and Means Committee, and ultimately Gov. Cuomo (or any future governor) would have to sign off on the bill.

 

[bm35]

this the world we living in.

 

[lver of jordan]

Never thought I'd say this but I miss Woodson |I

 

[bm35]

What we though Phil would do for us.

Reality

 

[johnnyredstorm]

At this point I even miss Pringles

 

[art vandelay]

At this point I even miss Pringles

 

[nick.]

bring Larry Brown byke

 

[lver of jordan]

Knick fans need to storm the Garden and just stay on the court until Phil organizes a meeting with Thibs!!!

#OccupyMSG

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Don Chaney > Rambis

 

[bm35]

Herb Williams > Rambis

 

[Air Pope]

Y'all willing to settle for anything I see

 

[gregzzy23]

Whats Lenny Wilkens up to

 

[xbiker47]

At this point I even miss Pringles

I was always a fan of his

Even when everyone in here was calling for his head

 

[lver of jordan]

Y'all willing to settle for anything I see

Anything is better then Rambis at this point

 

[art vandelay]

Herb Williams > Rambis

Herbs and Spices > Rambis.

 

[nick.]

the Spice Girls > Rambis

 

[sharpshooter718]

freeky zeke > rambis

 

[nick.]

when you realize Dolan is our only hope to save us from Rambis

 

[donewithjs]

when you realize Dolan is our only hope to save us from Rambis

And that's why I said I kind of miss Dolan.

 

[Hahahaha]

**** Mike DAntoni. He was trash too.

 

[Air Pope]

**** Mike DAntoni. He was trash too.

Fax

 

[Air Pope]

Y'all saying y'all miss Dolan lettin me know that credibility is a little low in here at the moment.

 

[you go boy]

Dolan finally takes a back seat to this team and gives the keys to Phil who is actually doing all the wrong moves. He has done a few good things resign melo, draft KP ànd pick up rolo, grant and dwill. But for him to not look at better options for a head coach and just hire within his circle is disappointing. And he probably won't address getting a pg in free agency which is the teams 2 biggest needs