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Article snippet: When President Trump returned to his hometown on Saturday for a day of fund-raisers, his third and final check-collecting stop was the Park Avenue home of Stephen A. Schwarzman, where the crowd included some of Mr. Trump’s old New York friends and real estate colleagues. Some in the group, including Mr. Schwarzman, a founder of the private equity Blackstone Group, have been among those pushing the Trump administration to change the Republican tax package that is making its way through Congress — in particular to save the ability to deduct state and local taxes from federal returns. Richard LeFrak, a developer and longtime friend of Mr. Trump’s who has been among those lobbying, asked about what changes the president wanted to see. “LeFrak always has a question,” Mr. Trump mocked. Mr. Trump was vague in his response, giving some in the room the impression he was open to their concerns. Others were less certain. And Mr. Trump concluded by poking fun at his wealthy supporters’ complaints. “You guys seem to be doing O.K.,” he said dryly. While Mr. Trump has tried to sell the tax package as a giant tax break for all Americans, a different story is unfolding in New York and other high-tax, mostly Democratic states. The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, has estimated that there could be tax increases for as many as 700,000 residents if the legislation is approved. Nearly half of households in surrounding suburban counties itemize their deductions — and stand to lo... Link to the full article to read more