The Great White Whales: Diplomats Who Don't Pay Taxes

City Councilman Eric Gioia suggests that the city and the state should pay hardball with countries and diplomats who don't pay parking fines or property taxes. The Post reports the Queens pol's ideas include cutting off electricity, taking away driver's licenses and towing cars. The city is owed about $78 million in unpaid taxes--Egypt owes almost $2 million in diplomatic-related parking tickets and India owes upwards of $16 million in property taxes.

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By Jen Chung in News on July 7, 2008 8:27 AM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

Just clamp their cars and force the diplomatic showdown. Let them bellyache from a cab.

dbc

I meant to say "honor its obligations", not "pay its obligations".

dbc

I'm with eyekantspel.

Still, the US should pay its obligations before expecting the same of others. According to The Guardian (UK), "The US embassy in London - whose head has been described by the London mayor as a "chiselling little crook" - now owes more than £2m in unpaid congestion charge payments and other traffic penalties."

It is really interesting to read the stance of the US with regard to the congestion toll in London; the US Embassy claims that the charge is an illegal tax under the Vienna Convention and has instructed diplomats and staff to stop paying it.

I wonder what position the British Embassy would have taken had congestion pricing been instituted in NYC.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/01/london.london

ANGRYGOD11

So what if Giola and idiots like him want the money? They have no power in international affairs and they know it. So, they stand and preen in front of the cameras knowing this will accomplish nothing but raise their visability.

eyekantspel

I agree with everyone. Diplomats should pay their bills and Gioia is a publicity-hungry dick.

They should just put all these politicians, Gioia, Weiner, Quinn, etc. etc. on their own reality t.v. show. Of course, they would be the only ones watching, but it might satisfy their desire to get in front of a camera.

I'm sure there are a handful of decent, public-minded politicians out there... okay, I'm not sure, but I like to hope that's the case. Seems like most of them are just narcissists waving their hands in the air "look at me, look at me"

fugothamist

i agree with Gioia

"thefacts" is a moron

cucarachita

The diplomats owe way too much money for you to call this a case of "some diplomat who hasn't put a quarter in the meter."

In fact, what should be done is that any diplomat who openly flouts the law should simply be banned from re-entering the city until they pay their fines. No arrests, just simple banning. They should know they're not welcome if they're not going to respect us.

Diplomatic immunity needs to be revisited so that they don't just walk all over the law.

And why not "do it to us"? Are our own diplomats a bunch of assholes abroad, too?

thefacts

Gioia is such a publicity-hungry dick.

His ideas are old hat, going back decades, that failed. In fact, the US State Dept strongly opposes it as much as the UN and the foreign consulates

If we did that to foreign diplomats, their countries would do it to ours, duh!

Does Gioia propose a diplomatic crises because some diplomat hasn't put his quarter in the meter?

This ambitious character will be term limited out of a job next year in the council, and Gothamist is providing him a job resumé.