The State Senate campaign of City Councilman Joe Addabbo seized on the comments Michael Bloomberg made yesterday in defense of the 18.5 percent property-tax increase that the City Council approved in 2002. Addabbo's opponent, the Bloomberg-endorsed Republican incumbent Serf Maltese, criticized the vote in a recent mailer.
In a statement just now, Addabbo spokeswoman Alexis Grenell said, "The Mayor and Maltese need to get their stories straight. Joe Addabbo is laser focused on the issues: lowering the cost of living, controlling spending and property taxes, improving education, and fighting for New York City's fair share. Despite his rubber stamp endorsement of Maltese, even Bloomberg can't deny the facts: Joe Addabbo is right for Queens communities."
Maltese campaign spokeswoman Kristin Lord emailed me earlier to defend the mailing and challenge the assertion that there's anything inconsistent about supporting Bloomberg and criticizing the tax increases the mayor and Council supported.
Lord wrote, "The Mayor knows he can count on Senator Maltese to continue to deliver for the City during these tough economic times to help offset the need for further property tax increases."
The email continues, "The mailer sent out by Senator Maltese was in response to attack mailpieces sent out by Councilman Addabbo, misleading the voters on the Senator's record. Councilman Addabbo brought the issue upon himself and we are countering his message to get the facts straight. It is hypocritical for the Councilman to continue to attack the Senator on taxes, when the fact remains that he has repeatedly voted for tax increases."
