GOP to NYC - F.U.

Less than a month after exploiting New York City, dancing on a mass grave for political gain at the convention, the white house has decided to change the formula for its low-income housing voucher system that will force people in the program in NYC to pay about $218 more per month.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's "Section 8" Program uses telephone surveys to determine the "fair market rent" of apartments in the communities it serves. This year, in an attempt to skew the formula toward republican districts and away from large urban centers, HUD decided to expand the definition of "community" -- it now includes the surrounding suburbs of large cities. The result -- less money for large urban centers (and democratic strongholds) like New York or Boston, and more money for places that vote for them, like Las Vegas or Houston.

So now, according to HUD, the "fair market rent" for a FOUR-BEDROOM apartment in New York City is $1,286. That's down $218 from HUD's original estimate, even though individuals at HUD will readily acknowledge that rents in NYC are going up, not down.

We report, you decide.