It sounded simple and even kind of warmly populist in nature — a small tax on "pied-à-terre" properties in New York City. Think about it for a moment: Why tax nonresident property owners? And then the city uses money extracted from non-voting property owners to plug general budget deficits and fund broader municipal initiatives. Presto chango — hundreds of thousands of New York homeowners were caught up in the initial mailing. Hit the sell, sell, sell button.