Mark Ditter

@UrbanCourtyard Love the statement. Reminiscent of something JHK said during his ted talk many years ago. I'll have to dig that up, haven't watched in a while - it's a good one!

Dallas intersection so wide you can discern the curvature of the earth at it

@pastormarkburns Looks like one of those street performers who dress up like a statue.

Today at Trump National Doral Miami, we witnessed an unforgettable moment with the dedication of the 22-foot statue honoring President Donald J. Trump. Let me be clear: this is not a golden calf. We worship the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone. This statue is a celebration of life. It is a symbol of resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the will power to keep fighting for the future of America. It also stands as a reminder of the hand of God and His protection over President Trump’s life. Time and time again, when his life was threatened, God’s mercy prevailed. Today was not just a ribbon cutting. It was the public display of a powerful movement that has spread across America and around the world. I was deeply honored to serve as President Trump’s main point of contact throughout this process, and I do not take that assignment lightly. I want to personally thank Ash, Dustin Stockton, Brock Pierce, Hershey Friedman, Yaakov Filitchkin, Sam, Jack, and the 6,000+ Patriots who donated, believed, sacrificed, and made this historic moment possible. Thank you to the entire Trump Doral team for your incredible hospitality and excellence. And thank you, President Donald J. Trump, for calling me today and speaking to the crowd. We are forever grateful. God bless President Trump. God bless every Patriot. And God bless the United States of America. 🇺🇸 #PresidentTrump #SpiritualDiplomats #TrumpDoral #TrumpStatueDedication #AmericaFirst #PatriotMovement #FaithFreedomPatriotism

@naomirwolf Yah, not a real person but a great rant and I think a lot of points that I'm sure are accurate.

@gothburz Feel like this should be in some new version of atlas shrugged.

I am the Chairman and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust. Eighty-four years old. Seven buildings in Midtown Manhattan. I said what I said. I said "tax the rich" is the equivalent of a racial slur. I said it at REBNY. Into the microphone. Eight hundred people. Median net worth in that room was north of $240 million, I know because our CFO ran the guest list through a Bloomberg terminal as a joke, and then it wasn't a joke. And when I said it, twelve people applauded. The rest nodded. One woman in the third row mouthed, "Finally." I saw her. Sharon, my communications advisor, Columbia, $430,000 a year, very bright, Sharon wants me to walk it back. She drafted something. "Mr. Roth's comments were intended to highlight the emotional impact of political rhetoric on business communities." I read it. I put it in the trash can on my desk. Not the recycling. The trash. Here's my clarification: I understated it. "Tax the rich" is worse than a slur. A slur is just a word. It doesn't come with a CBO score. Nobody is introducing a bill called the Racial Slur Implementation Act of 2026. But there are seventeen active proposals in Congress, I had Sharon count them, seventeen proposals designed to take more of my money. My money. Mine. Money I acquired by being better at acquiring Manhattan commercial real estate than anyone alive for four consecutive decades. That is not a crime. That is a record. I pay property taxes on $18.2 billion in assessed assets. $412 million a year. Say it again: four hundred and twelve million. I carry that number. It's the first thing I think about when I see a protest sign. I think: I pay more in property tax than the entire annual budget of the city of Fort Lauderdale. I looked this up. Fort Lauderdale: $408 million. Steve Roth: $412 million. I am a small city. And the city doesn't get screamed at. My effective tax rate last year was 11.4 percent. I say this because I believe in transparency and because I'm not ashamed of it. The rate reflects the legal structure of real estate investment trusts, depreciation schedules Congress established in 1986, and carried interest provisions that both parties have voted to preserve for forty years. I did not write these laws. I organized my entire financial existence around them with the help of nine full-time tax professionals who have offices on the 38th floor of 888 Seventh Avenue, which I also own. Their office is in my building. Their work protects my buildings. This is not a loophole. Sharon calls it a loophole. I've told her: a structure maintained by nine attorneys across four decades is not a loophole. A loophole is something you slip through once. This is architecture. This is the foundation. This is the building. Last Tuesday, same as every Tuesday, I walked past 1290 Sixth Avenue. My building. And there was a man. Same man as last week. Same sign: "Billionaires Pay Your Fair Share." He was standing on my sidewalk. My literal sidewalk — my company owns the ground lease. He was maybe thirty. He was wearing a jacket I would estimate cost $60. My lunch that day was $114. For one. I am telling you this not to boast but because these are facts. He has decided I'm his enemy. Based on a number he saw on a Forbes list. He doesn't know what I pay. He doesn't know what my buildings cost this city in construction jobs and lease revenue and foot traffic. He knows one number. He has made one judgment. I see him every Tuesday. I've started to notice things. He brings coffee from the cart, not the Starbucks. He has a backpack that looks heavy. He doesn't look unhealthy. He looks like he probably works somewhere, but not on Tuesdays. I've wondered: does he have a job? Does he have a building? Does he have anything that depends on him the way 4,200 employees depend on me? I suspect not. And yet he has opinions about my tax rate. I gave $22 million to charity last year. The Met. NYU Langone. Mount Sinai. I gave a building to NYU. Not money for a building — a building. The Steven Roth Residence Hall. It houses 400 students. That man with the sign has never housed 400 students. He hasn't housed one. He gives cardboard. I give structures. This is not a comparison I'm making to flatter myself. It's just arithmetic. When I said what I said at REBNY, I was saying what every person in that room believes and none of them will say publicly because they have communications advisors and the communications advisors all went to Columbia and they all say "unhelpful." I'm eighty-four. I'm too old for helpful. I'm too old to perform restraint for people who hate me for something I can't change. I didn't choose to be rich. I chose to be good at one thing for a very long time, and this is what happened. You don't punish someone for that. You don't legislate against someone for that. My net worth fluctuates between $3.8 and $4.1 billion depending on the quarter. I fluctuate more in a fiscal week than that man on my sidewalk will earn in his life. Both of these are facts. Only one of them is considered polite to say. They want me to apologize. I'll be dead in ten years. Twenty if I'm lucky. And they'll still be renting my buildings.

@jarvis_best This is great, love it (and the WI one from a few months ago).

Minnesota is a problem. Let’s talk about it. When people think of Minnesota they probably think of the great film FARGO in which the average resident is portrayed as either a low class low IQ drunk or a serial killer. You know what? Fargo was being NICE. The real Minnesota is far worse. It was worse back then and it’s WAY worse now.

@ZaidJilani Driving in suburbs is worse, nothing interesting to look at - all looks the same.

Driving is fun in a rural or suburban area. It’s not fun in the city.

@yumtapwater They can't ruin nicollet mall anymore than they already did for the super bowl?

This would be an enormous boon to the metro!

@MayorFrey I'm glad it's happening, so thanks. But it is really sad that as we look forward to our short but amazing summers in Mpls we have to have the dread of more *stuff* going down in our neighborhoods. I wish there was a way to speed bump places where street racing happens.

As we get closer to summer, Minneapolis is prepared. We’re launching Operation Safe Summer—a coordinated, citywide effort to keep people safe and prevent crime before it starts. cbsnews.com/minnesota/news…

@AlexGodofsky @Noahpinion Haha

@Noahpinion You're supposed to use the sharp end

The "pizza cutter" is the most useless invention of all time. It does not actually cut pizza -- the single task for which it was designed. Nor is it useful for any other task.

@Martina Wait, some people are worried about OVER population? I think it's all changed - falling birthrates are going to make all of our social systems/programs fail.

This is not in any way sustainable! We worried about over population but it seems to me this is a much bigger and quicker problem!

@epaleezeldin @rosadelauro I read in my head "uniformed congressional dem" - but actually that description works too for her.

Nothing infuriates an uninformed Congressional Dem more than when they realize they voluntarily triggered a debate with someone who actually knows what they are talking about, reads federal statute and adheres to Supreme Court precedent. Today’s self-implosion by @rosadelauro was quite remarkable to witness. Without apology or regret, I will always adhere to the best available reading of federal statute pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright.

@Gebo___ I miss Bunny's NE :-(

It may not be Minneapolis, but Bunny’s in St. Louis Park is one of the best brunch places in the metro.

@keithellison This is really sad, it's seems like all MN seeks nowadays is how to be known for pretty fringe left wing values.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: gender-affirming care is healthcare. And this week, we won in court to protect it for young people in Minnesota. The federal government does not get to bully doctors, patients, and families or rip essential care away from kids who need it. It’s my honor and duty to make sure every Minnesotan can live with dignity, safety, and respect in their everyday life. Whether it’s your healthcare, your rights, or your livelihood, I will always be in your corner fighting for you.

@peggyflanagan Sorry, I don't think we have even figured out the other challenges our state has right now. We need some creative thinking, not just adding more to the government's plate.

It’s time for Medicare for All.

@Tim_Walz I was getting close to being onboard, given how broken our private healthcare arrangement is...but then I saw what PH put us through during COVID and decided too risky to have single payer.

Bare minimum.

@KeithPowersNYC Why?

Pet Owners: It’s time that we make pet food a little bit cheaper. This week, I introduced new legislation to get rid of the sales tax every time you buy pet food.

@JHillMPLS @NortonMpls Curious what's next to become uncool based on that rubric.

A lot of people credit legalization for making weed uncool and therefore reducing youth cannabis use, but I give full credit to @NortonMpls

@Ron_West_52 @bobbyfijan Have three kids (12-8) in Mpls. They walk/bike home most of the year. When there is basketball or baseball practice they just stay late and bike home when done. There are couple taverns they can drop in if they feel something weird going on, weve met half way/stop in with them b4

@bobbyfijan Who wants to raise kids in cities? Too crowded, no/small yards, crappy schools. This is nothing new.

The collapse in school enrollment is a CITY tragedy, not (just) a Red/Blue STATE issue Over the last decade, as the population of the CITY of Austin increased by 16% ... Austin public schools decreased by 18%. A catastrophic divergence!

@ATabarrok Glad to hear, last house I bought was from someone who lived there for 40 years and I paid for title search - I'm like wtf would I need insurance for?

Title insurance.

Minneapolis restaurants are closing at an alarming rate — and Chef David Fhima says polarization is partly to blame, with diners avoiding the city over politics. Restaurants have always been where division ends, and Minneapolis needs to remember that. betterminneapolis.com/p/where-divisi…