Just as an example, one of the rent controlled apartments was occupied by one Kofi Annan. Yes, that Kofi Annan. Some working class guy, right?
http://www.nysun.com/national/mystery-surfaces-over-apartmen...
Once Kofi Annan became "the Kofi Annan", he passed the apartment to his brother, Kobina Annan, a working-class ambassador of Ghana to Morocco.
Another example is Charles Rangel, a working-class congressman that had not one but four rent-stabilized apartments: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/nyregion/11rangel.html
If that doesn't convince you of the wisdom of the New York regulations, check out this one: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/realestate/06cov.html?page...