CT hearing on ‘mansion tax’ boils over into charges of racism against state rep
Debate over the controversial “mansion tax” proposal before the state Planning and Development Committee on Monday became a heated exchange about perceived racism, with state Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) blasting Rep. Michael Winkler (D-Vernon) for what he termed as “unacceptable” remarks.
Unveiled in January by Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven), the proposal would require those who own a house whose market value is at least $430,000 to pay one extra “mill” ”” $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value ”” in property taxes each year.
According to legislative estimates, Greenwich homeowners with such properties would pay over 25% of the resulting new revenue, which Looney said would total $73.5 million per year.
The groundwork for yesterday”™s confrontation was laid when Greenwich Housing Authority Chairman Sam Romeo said, “I don”™t believe there”™s racism here in Greenwich. I”™ve lived here all my life, 77 years” and not seen evidence of racism.
“People choose to live where they choose to live,” Romeo continued. “It”™s not that they”™re kept out. People go where they want to go, and people go where they can afford to live and where they can find work.”
Romeo went on to say that he believed 37% of Greenwich”™s population is considered minority, to which Winkler replied, “Yes, you count Asians and other minorities that have never been discriminated against.”
State Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-Fairfield), who is co-chairwoman of the committee, appeared to sense storm clouds on the horizon, noting that “a number of minority groups have faced discrimination over time,” including the incident in Atlanta last week when six Asian women were among those killed, allegedly by a white suspect.
But state Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield), who arrived late to the meeting, argued that structural racism “still exists,” and declared that for Winkler ”“ whom he referred only to as “the colleague” ”“ to suggest Asian Americans have not faced discrimination is “unacceptable.”
“The colleague is pretty darned lucky that I was not in the meeting to hear the kind of derogatory statements, because it is absolutely unacceptable,” Hwang, who was born in Taiwan, declared. Saying that Winkler”™s comments were “beyond inflammatory, beyond derogatory, beyond ignorance,” Hwang demanded an apology.
Hwang offered his own apology if he had misheard Winkler”™s remarks, as he was informed of them secondhand.
But Rep. Kimberly Fiorello (R-Greenwich), who is Korean-American, said that Hwang had not been misinformed, and that Winkler”™s remarks had “struck an incredible chord.”
In response, Winkler said: “Every immigrant group has been discriminated against in the past and is being discriminated against currently. But Blacks have suffered the most.
“Polish, Irish, whatever came in and rose” above discrimination, Winkler continued, while Blacks have been at the bottom “and have remained there” as the “most downtrodden, most oppressed.
“My focus is on the Blacks and I will continue to do that,” Winkler said.
“That doesn”™t sound like an apology to me,” Hwang replied. “Racism against any group ”“ Black, Latino, Asian, religion, orientation, disability, is not acceptable.”
Hwang also questioned Winkler”™s apparent selection of one minority over another as being more discriminated against. Hwang again called for an apology to Asian Americans for believing that “they have been discriminated against less.”
After the hearing, Hwang released a statement saying: “Today was an incredibly dark day for the Connecticut General Assembly and the Planning and Development Committee. I never thought I would have needed to forcefully speak out against bias or racism at a public meeting with a legislative colleague.
“I am absolutely stunned at the sharp-tongued, close-minded and hurtful speech I bore witness to today, and will be for some time to come,” he said.
Winkler today issued an apology, acknowledging that discrimination against Asian Americans exists.
“I want to apologize to all Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders for the statements that I made during yesterday”™s public hearing,’ Winkler said. “My comments are inexcusable, especially with the recent rise in violence against Asian-Americans.
“There is a long, painful history of Asian-Americans experiencing racism in this country,” he continued, “and I sincerely regret that I ignored that history and those experiences in my comments. I also want to apologize directly to my committee colleagues, Senator Hwang and Representative Fiorello, as well as to my constituents, for the hurt my comments have caused.
“Discrimination against any group is wrong,” Winkler said. “Moving forward, I want to work to ensure that I truly understand and recognize the experiences of those who unfortunately know what it”™s like to be discriminated against in areas such as work, education, housing, and more. I again want to apologize for my hurtful comments.”